Love In War
by DreamsInColor8
Summary: On the verge of World War III, Stephanie Plum decides to join the Army Nurse Corps to help the cause. She never imagined that she would be saving an elite Captain in the Army Rangers. Will war bring them together or tear them apart? Will a war stop Steph from destiny? Will an alternate beginning stop her from becoming a bounty hunter or make her even better at it?
1. Chapter 1

This is my first story in a couple of years; hope ya'll enjoy!

This is an AU babe fic. HEA eventually...of course. :) I should be posting weekly so stay tuned.

The first chapter is a little short, but it's just the intro and the rest of the chapters will be longer.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the characters, that right belongs to the amazing JE.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

The clouds loom large in the background as hundreds of people mill about in the chilly November weather. The sky is overcast and the mood is somber yet a patriotic undertone runs through the crowd. Secret services agents slip in and out of the crowd checking for any sign of danger as the country's first black president prepares to address the audience during this turbulent time. The presidential seal graces the front of the podium that stands empty waiting for the presence of the leader.

Minutes pass by before President Bartholomew Ordo comes forward, clearing his throat before he speaks:

"Let's be clear about ISIS. They have rampaged across cities and villages, killing innocent, unarmed civilians in cowardly acts of violence….No just God would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every single day." He stops speaking and makes meaningful eye contact with the audience.

"They have killed two of _our own _people. How can we, as Americans, stand for these atrocities? We fought for our freedom in 1776 and _we won_. We protected our values in the 1940s against mass genocide. In the 1960s we fought against racism to ensure everyone gets equality, and considering _I am_ standing up here, we were mostly successful. Today, we fight for LGBT rights, but _right now_, we need to fight against ISIS. They will keep killing and won't stop unless we take a stand to stop them."

The president finishes his speech and the crowds roar with cheers at the end. Like in every time of crisis, the United States never fails to come together and fight for the beliefs and values the country was founded on. Considering the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are already joining the battle, the U.S. was going to join anyways.

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><p>"Cupcake, think about this for a second," Joe pleads with his melting brown eyes as I continue pacing across the floor. He can plead all he wants, but I won't change my mind—I can't.<p>

"Joe, will you ever listen to what I have to say?" I ask trying to keep calm. "I have opinions, and thoughts, and friends! I can't stand idly by as more people get slaughtered for some twisted religion and obsession over power." Joe grabs my shoulders to keep me from pacing.

"You're making a mistake! You're going to get killed, and then what?" Joe states, "What about me? What about your parents? Your sister? Your friends? What then, Stephanie?" I knew he'd want to talk me out of this, of the only thing I've ever been sure of in my life. I want to make a difference, and I can. I have never done anything important in my life, and at twenty-two in the midst of a war, I know I will. I feel this in my bones, and it only gives me confidence that my gut or "spidey-sense" backs me up on my plan.

"My family and friends should understand the sacrifice I am choosing to make and they should be proud!" I yell as I lose my temper. Joe has always put me down and kept me right where I am. Get a business degree, he said, then you can work anywhere. I've listened to him too many times already, I cannot afford to any more.

"How will anyone be proud if you're DEAD!?" Joe's screaming now too, and the vein in his forehead bulges out. I'm surprised it hasn't burst yet.

"They will be proud because I'm doing something for my country. And it's too late Joe, I've already signed up," I reply, starting to calm down. We have no need for two irrationally angry people in this conversation. Joe sighs heavily, giving up the fight he lost before it even started.

"Stephanie…" He hangs his head. "I thought we had plans together…" My heart breaks a little, but I know this is the right thing for me to do.

"We did Joe, but I know God has big plans for me right now. We should take a break while I'm gone—I would never ask you to wait for me," I say with no regrets. "We can write, but feel free to move on Joe. I think it will be for the best." We've been together since he came back from a year in the Navy. We had our rough patches, but we had three good years together. Joe pulls me into a hug and draws back to kiss me. I look into his ever-darkening eyes and we let the passion of our goodbye consume us.

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><p>"Yes…of course…no problem sir…right away…tonight?...will do," Ranger says into the phone before hanging up.<p>

"What's the news, boss?" I question from the seat across from him. He rests his arms on the desk between us.

"Seems like the ISIS situation has escalated and they're getting troops in ASAP. General just called to inform me that my skills will be necessary. I head out tonight," He replies, making sure to cover everything in a few sentences. I nod. It's not like Ranger hasn't done this before, but I get the feeling nothing will be the same after this mission. We had all enlisted after the 9/11 attacks when we were just eighteen. Eight years older, but decades wiser we still complete missions here and there when Uncle Sam asks. We signed a contract, we made a vow, and we support our country no matter what. The only problem this time is the fact that it might be the next world war. This escalation will mean countless deaths. I can only hope my brother in arms, my business partner, my friend, makes it out in one piece this time. We've played with fate and death too many times that I can only hope and pray for his safe return. I'm not real keen on running RangeMan, I prefer my status as second in command while occasionally filling in.

"Do you have all your documents in order?" I check. He gives a swift nod. He's silent and I know he's thinking about the upcoming battles ahead. I don't question him further, knowing he's never enjoyed going out on these missions. This mission seems different—more dangerous because of ISIS' hate of Americans.

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><p>AN: Yes, the president in my story is based on our current president and some of the words were actually a quote from the president. Keep in mind that this story is fiction! Please review and tell me what you think. Any errors are my own so feel free to let me know so I can fix them!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews for the first chapter. It lets me see that people actually think this story can go somewhere.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters belong to JE.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Thankfully, I had gotten my certified nursing certificate from the technical school that combined with my high school, otherwise I probably would not have gotten into the Army Nurse Corps. I have only taken some courses at the community college. So, I just had to pass the normal requirements for Army corps nursing. I know I will receive some more training before getting put out in the field, but it's nerve wracking to think about. This is potentially the third world war which is why my involvement is especially needed. Telling Joe had gone over as well as expected, and after our goodbye I went on to tell my family. Surprisingly, it went better than expected. My father was beyond proud, my mother, while a little shocked, accepted it calmly. Then there was Grandma Mazur, she was beyond delighted and her words came back to me, "You'll get to be with all those hotties, giving them expert care." With those words, she gave me a wink. I rolled my eyes at the time. I would not have time to flirt while in a dangerous war zone.

I look around me on the plane and see lots of people dozing off, not worried a bit. We're headed to San Antonio, Texas to complete our Officer Basic Course or OBC as they call it. We'll all be in close quarters for nine weeks down in Fort Sam Houston. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I'm excited to be serving my country in a way it needs, and I'm nervous that my service could potentially get me killed. I had signed up and passed my classes over the summer after hiding my attendance at Seton Hall University. Luckily, Grandpa Mazur had saved college money for me that I was able to use freely. I then used that to pay for the final classes to ensure I would qualify. I had been watching the news for a while and sometime last year the urge to help hit me. Now here I am, off to a foreign country in less than two months.

Thankfully, I've already bought a pair of approved boots and broken them in, which is apparently crucial to being successful. I'll get my full uniforms when I arrive on base. I've already gotten my fitness uniforms which consist of a gray t-shirt with the word army written across along with some black sweatpants, and a sweatshirt similar to the shirt. I also received my army combat uniform (ACU) which is the full camouflage uniform most people are accustomed to seeing. The third uniform will be waiting for me when I get to base. It is my army service uniform (ASU) which is the nicest of them all. It is very formal. I'm not exactly sure what to expect when I get on base, but I know I will be taking a lot of orders. I have to finish and pass two online courses to help prepare me as well. They include Antiterrorism Awareness Level 1 (ATL 1) and Composite Risk Management (CRM) Basic course. I feel like I should be able to pass with ease. I will mostly likely struggle the most with the physical aspects of my stay on base. I'm not overweight, or out of shape, but I am in no way a fitness buff. To prepare, I had been running two miles a day, but I'm not sure if that will be enough. With my worried thoughts going through my mind, I drift off into a fitful sleep.

The plane lands and I am jolted from my sleep. I open my bleary eyes, and I allow my body to stretch, to wake up. I'm suddenly nervous with butterflies flying rampantly in my stomach. What if I'm not good at being an army nurse? What if they don't want me? I close my eyes and take a deep breath and clear those thoughts from my mind. After rolling to a stop at the gate, we finally file off the plane. I can already feel the Texas heat as I head into the air conditioned airport. I head to the baggage claim to retrieve my duffle bag. Once I collect my stuff, I head outside to hail a cab to the next journey in my life.

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><p>"You'll need to go undercover as a jihad extremist," General Adams explains, handing me a folder. I open it up and see all the information about one, Fahad Imani. My mother had been killed by Americans shortly after 911, and since then I've hated all Americans and become a follower of the extreme jihadists. I shudder to think that many Middle Eastern people actual believe and think in this way. They get sucked into the extremist's way of thinking and then they don't care who they hurt as long as it's in the name of their Allah. I have nothing against Muslims or Middle Eastern people until they become a threat to my country. I close the folder, knowing I will become well acquainted with it in a few hours.

"Our mission is to go in, find the leader and try and take over," the general continues explaining. I'm shocked, but I know my facial features let nothing show. Take over? Take over our enemies who will outnumber me?

"You'll try and covertly change their viewpoints as you're in there and gain their trust. Once you have done this, you become their leader and you make the violence stop," he continues as though this mission will be the easiest thing possible. You've gotta be fucking kidding me. This mission shouts FUBAR, and I haven't even started yet.

"With all due respect sir, I'm not sure this will work, and if it does…what does that mean for me? Am I supposed to stay and lead to make sure no violence happens again?" I question wondering if I'll ever lead a civilian life again. He sighs.

"We've worked out most of the details…but that was one kink we had. I'm beginning to rethink this plan as well. We want to keep casualties down, but as of now, there are a lot of injured," he replies, "I guess take out as many as you can without becoming too suspicious." I nod, thinking this would be much better for me in the long run.

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><p>A week in and I'm tired and sore. I've already added definition to my body I never knew could happen. My soft curves are slowly leaving my body. They're training us to eat on food typical of the war zone, and we've been running drills almost all day every day. It's running everyone ragged. I'm surprised by the fact that most of the other nurses are men with only a few of us women. I've been missing home something fierce, but the weather has been nice. It's a nice dry heat with little humidity which is not what I'm used to. My hair has been cooperating, not that it matters since it's been up in a bun. Today, we're meeting with a seasoned field medic who will be drilling and testing us. I've heard he's a real bad ass but also young and handsome. While the medics I've been working with are men, they're still too young and not very easy on the eyes. I could definitely go for some encouraging eye candy. I'm nervous I won't pass, but I have to believe in my instincts and my skill. I was at the top of my class for this kind of stuff. I should not be worried. But I am. I guess that's healthy, right?<p>

After finishing up our morning workout routine, we've been instructed to put on our ACUs to simulate what it will be like out in the field. One thing I've noticed, the army sure loves acronyms. Once we've gotten dressed—quickly—we head outside. They've set up a special practice area right in front of the medical brigade gym. They've got tents up with medical stations inside. I wonder how this is going to work. I glance over at Mercedes, one of the other females in the group with me. We've become acquaintances since our time here. We're on the same level fitness wise so we bonded. She's from the Bronx in New York. She's tough and witty. We get along nicely. We continue assessing our situation and file in a line in front of the tents. We stand silently, straight, with our arms behind our backs as a man comes out of the tent. He's at least six foot with broad shoulders. His uniform hints at the bulging muscles underneath. His hair is short brown, and from what I can tell so are his eyes. His skin is dark, but I'm not sure if he's mixed or not. He comes to a stop and assesses each of us.

"My name is Sergeant Major Brown and you will address me as such. Today we will be doing field drills. You will partner up and take turns being an injured soldier. Each time you will drag your partner inside the tent and then inside, you will practice stitching on dummies. I will be shouting orders and be making sure you do everything in a timely manner." I swallow hard at his words, but my eyes find Mercedes. She gives me a quick nod. Well, at least I have a partner.

"Yes Sergeant Major," we all reply in unison. Sergeant Major Brown claps his hands.

"Line up with one of you by the tents and the others fifty yards from the field," he commands. We scuttle to do as he says. It looks like I will be the medic in our first round since I ran for the tent, and Mercedes went to the field. Once we've lined up, he gives us more orders.

"Medics! Get in your tents, soldiers, fall to the ground!" Brown commands in his powerful voice. Being closer to him, I can definitely tell he is an attractive man. He seems to be half black and half white, but I couldn't be sure. He has a slight accent that sounds like he may be from New Jersey…maybe I'll get the chance to ask him sometime. Once inside the tents, I see the many gurneys with fake patients on them, and each one seems to have different wounds. Sergeant comes close to all of us.

"Now, this simulation is not exactly like a war zone but it will have to do. I'm giving you strict time requirements in order to show you the pressure you will be under. The only downfall is there will be no real threat to your lives in this situation. When you're abroad, you will always be in danger," he explains, "Go get your fallen men! Fast!" As soon as the order is off of his lips, I take off. I'm not the fastest one, but hopefully my knowledge and skill will be on my side. I run to Mercedes, and I'm not the last to reach my man. I bend down quickly, and using my legs, I hoist her up. I then throw her over my shoulder in the fireman's carry. With her safely secured, I run back as fast as I can. Mercedes' weight hinders my running, but I push through. If this really happens, I need to be fast. Ignoring the pain, I push myself faster. After depositing her safely inside the tent, Brown meets my eyes and points to one of the many patients. I quickly go over to the table. I see a small chart and my hope deflates as I notice only four words. Gunshot wound to chest. No other description to help me. I quickly set to work. I check to see if the gunshot wound has made it clean through. I notice it hasn't. I'm surprised by the gush of blood from the point of entry. Damn, these dummies are very realistic. I grab gauze to try and staunch the bleeding. I know the only way to help him is to remove the bullet if I can. I grab a pair of the forceps to examine the wound. I see the bullet has not gone too deep. I know what I need to do—remove the bullet and quickly stitch him up.

"You have five minutes!" I see that the Sergeant Major is directing that command to me. Okay, five minutes. I've got this. I give him a quick nod. I feel his eyes on me, but I ignore it for the sake of the dummy in front of me. I carefully use the forceps to grip the bullet. I steady my right hand with my left in order to make sure the bullet comes out slowly and steadily. I pull up slowly with the same amount of force. The bullet comes rushing out. I quickly put it in a clear container at my side and grab a syringe labeled 'anesthetic.' I made sure to administer it and then I got some gauze. I dabbed the wound before getting the needle and thread. I sewed up the dummy in the way I was taught before covering it with gauze. I looked up to see Sergeant Major Brown giving me a nod of approval.

"4 minutes and 30 seconds," he acknowledges. "You two wait until the rest have completed then you switch." Mercedes and I nod before turning to watch our competition. A few other teams had finished, but we were fourth or fifth, to my relief. I watched as some of my comrades cracked under the pressure and could not complete their tasks with the time Brown had allotted. Others were speedy, yet he would have to correct their hastily done procedures. I felt a swell of pride knowing I had done mine with thought, and I still beat the time. Everyone finally finished and we did it all again—switching our roles. I went fifty yards out and laid down on the grass like a rag doll. It wasn't long before I heard Brown give the signal and the rush of feet was next. I counted, and it took Mercedes almost six seconds to reach me. She bent down, much like I did, and threw me over her shoulder. She ran as quickly as she could, and it took her about four seconds longer with me on her back. Once inside the tent, she puts me down and sees Brown point to a table. I follow to observe her. I see she gets a man with a bullet wound in his calf. Oh, that's dangerous. She sets to work quickly, and sets up a tourniquet on the dummy. Smart move, I would do the same. She then examines the bullet would.

"Five minutes to you," Brown instructs to Mercedes. I feel like the time is inadequate for such a wound, but I guess he's trying to be realistic. She basically does what I had to do. She removes the bullet wound and stitches him up before putting the gauze on. Brown returns when he notices she finished.

"Four minutes and fifty-five seconds," he comments as we both sigh in relief. We both want to do well. We idly chat and watch the others as we wait for the end. Everyone finishes and Brown ushers us to gather up.

"These field tests are so I can categorize each of you and help me decide who is suited for the war zone…" he pauses, "and who would be better off helping somewhere else in another aspect." I nodded, his reasoning makes perfect sense. I just hope I impress him and make it to the field. I have the strangest feeling that I am meant for the field. I think when it happens my life will change forever, but not in a horrible I'm gonna die way.

"Most of you performed well under the time constraints I imposed, but you all have a long way to go," Sergeant Major Brown finishes, "now off to lunch." We all relax as we walk to the building we eat lunch in. I'm surprised to see Sergeant Major Brown accompanying the group. Somehow, Mercedes and I end up walking next to him. I work up some courage to talk with him…hopefully he's willing.

"Permission to speak Sergeant Major Brown?" I request as we continue walking. He glances over at me with a blank face before giving a nod.

"I noticed you had a slight accent, sir, I am just wondering where you are from?" I ask politely.

"New Jersey," is all the reply I receive. Ha! I was right.

"Oh me too, sir!" I exclaim, "Which part, if you don't mind my asking." I feel like he would roll his eyes, but he surprisingly answers.

"I'm from Newark, but I work in Trenton when I'm not doing something for the military," he explains, and I'm definitely shocked that he gave me more than one word.

"I live in Trenton, my name is Stephanie Plum," I reply. He gives a nod, but no reply. I decide to stop questioning him before he decides to cut me off. We enter the building to enjoy lunch.

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><p>AN: I did some research and Sam Fort Houston is real as well as most of what Steph has to complete. I did take some creative liberties and make up the training they did at the end. If you see anything too unrealistic or any mistakes I would love to know. I'd also like to know if you liked the chapter so PLEASE review and tell me what you're thinking so far.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the fabulous reviews I've received. It makes posting my story a lot more fun!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters you know.

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

"Santos knock it off," I say as Lester chants the six pillar of Iman in Arabic for the hundredth time. I know we need to have our covers memorized and ingrained into our brains, but damn he's getting on my last nerve. We had both attended college after our first couple tours and the military happily paid for it. We both majored in Foreign Affairs with minors in business. We are two highly qualified soldiers for the immersion into ISIS because of our foreign language skills and our prestigious military records. I also had been able to open my own business called RangeMan. I started it in Florida where I spent most of my childhood and teenage years. Since then I have made two other branches: one in Boston and one in Trenton. I spend most of my time in the Trenton branch. I am grateful to my brothers in arms to have become partners with me. Lester, Tank, Bobby, and two of my brothers are all partners with equal share. My brother Julio runs the Miami branch while my brother Alex runs the Boston branch. It works out nicely for all of us. Tank is second in command at Trenton, and he likes it that way as do the other guys.

"My name is Ajmal, get with it man," he replies. "We need to be practicing and making sure we have this down. There's no room for mistakes here, brother." I sigh.

"I know, but you know I'm good at this," I remind him. We're currently in a hotel on the coast. We head out to Iran where we will be undercover completely and from there we will travel to Ar-Raqqah, Syria which is where the center of control for ISIS is. It's a daunting task to say the least, but we're prepared.

"So brother Ajmal, are you ready to do this?" I ask as I slip into my role. He gives me a grin, but there is a seriousness in his eyes.

"Of course Fahad, it will be show time soon, and we'll be going in with guns blazing," he replies. Our full back story is that we are brothers fighting for the vengeance of our lost mother. We are migrating back to ISIS after unsuccessfully trying to convert people in the United States. We plan to "pledge" our loyalty to ISIS and then rise in rankings. I'm guessing we'll be under for at least a year—if not longer. At least I know Brown will be out there helping the wounded. Maybe we'll even cross paths. I just hope he's not tearing down the newbies in Texas right about now. Lester turns off the lights and we try to sleep before our journey tomorrow.

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><p>I sigh as I stretch in my bunk at Fort Sam Houston. It's been five weeks already, and they've flown by. Mercedes and I have luckily been placed in the war zone ready group, so we've been doing a lot of work. Today, we have down time for the afternoon, and I'm the only one who chose to nap. A rumble from my tummy reminds me that I missed lunch. I scooch out of bed and lace up my boots. I throw my hair in a sloppy ponytail as I head to the vending machine. I'm lucky we even have one considering the food they feed us. I'm deciding what selection to make as I hear footsteps down the hall. I ignore and go back to deciding if I want beef jerky or a pb&amp;j sandwich…hmm maybe both.<p>

"Hey sugar," I hear a voice call. I turn to see Kevin Dearborn walking my way. I shudder in disgust. This guy gives me the creeps, and I've heard him not so subtly harassing two of the other women in our class. I'm not sure if I should ignore the scumbag or answer in hopes of getting rid of him faster.

"What do you want Kevin?" I ask as I press the buttons to receive my substitute lunch. He waits to reach the vending machine before answering as he leans against it. He towers over me.

"I'm looking for something sweet to eat," he suggests in a gravelly voice, "maybe a sugar plum." My eyes widen at his obvious suggestion, and it takes all of my willpower to not slap him across the face…if I could reach his face that is.

"Well I'm almost done," I reply. "Then the vending machine is all yours." He smirks.

"I don't want any of that food," he replies as my snacks make a thud as they land in the bottom. My heart has started to beat a little faster, and I'm suddenly worried about being alone with him. Everyone else has gone out for the afternoon. I gulp. I make a move to grab my food, trying to keep one eye on him. I'm disappointed and disgusted as he smacks my ass. I leap up quickly.

"Don't touch me!" I half yell as I stand upright. He gives me the smirk again, but I notice his eyes are almost completely black. He stalks forward until my back hits the wall.

"Don't act like you don't want this," he sneers, putting his hand against the wall over my shoulder. I feel panicked, but I know I need to stay calm in order to get out of this situation.

"I don't want this. I don't want you," I say calmly. He makes a move to kiss me, but I jerk my knee up quickly and with power. He hunches over as I make a break for it. I'm almost to the door when he grabs my shoulder and wrenches me back. I let out a scream in hopes that someone will hear me.

"Get off! No!" I scream as he pushes me towards our bunks. After a particularly hard shove, I land on my ass. I scuttle backwards as he continues coming forward. My back hits the wall, and I shakily try to stand. He's on me quickly. He pulls at my shirt. I smack at his hands, close to tears.

"Stop! No!" I yell wishing I could move. He slaps me hard across the face and tears spring to my eyes. He has me trapped, and he is taking care to guard himself. He gets even closer and tries for the band of my pants as he pins one of my hands to the wall.

"Stop! Please! Stop! No, no no," I scream as I begin to sob as his hand manages to pull my pants down and all I have left as a barrier is my panties. He tries to kiss me but only gets my cheek while his hand is making its way closer and closer to my panties. With his other hand he roughly squeezes my boob. I sob. I hear a door slam open, and relief floods my brain. Kevin is distracted for a moment which is long enough for me to slam my palm into his nose. He staggers backwards, and I make sure to elbow him in the stomach on my way past him. I grab my pants as I head to the sound of the door opening. There I see Sergeant Major Brown.

"Help," I say in a half choked sob. He runs forward, and I stumble into his arms. I can't stop the tears as I realize what almost happened to me. Brown assesses me before turning to Kevin. Realizing I shouldn't touch him like this, I step away and straighten my appearance. Sergeant Major Brown stalks towards Kevin. I watch as the Sergeant grabs Kevin by the shirt. I never realized how tall Brown was until he was next to Kevin who seemed to be short next him. Kevin gets slammed into the wall as Brown utters words that make it to my ears, "get your stuff, and get out. We don't _want_ or _need_ pussies like you. You're a disgrace." With those words, Sergeant Major Brown throws Kevin to the ground—hard. I feel a flutter of happiness at that. Kevin deserves that and more. Brown watches as Kevin gathers his stuff.

"Sign out, and never come back here," he threatens. I stiffen as Kevin passes me and gives me the dirtiest look. I scoot closer to the wall and try to stop my pounding heart. I'm still watching Kevin's back when a hand on my shoulder startles me.

"It's okay Plum, it's just me," Brown says warmly. "Come with me, and you can file a report." I nod numbly as I follow his lead. He takes me to another building and into an office. He takes a seat behind his desk and gestures to a chair for me. I sit down and will myself to not look at the floor as shame floods me. I should have better anticipated, I should have known. I should have gotten out of there as soon as I saw it was Kevin. A tear falls from my eye. I swallow hard as the 'what ifs' go through my mind.

"Here's a tissue, and the paperwork," he says gently. "I know it might be hard, but I also need you to relay everything to me." I nod slowly. I meet his eyes, "Thank you." He waves his hand for me to begin.

"Since we were given the afternoon off I decided to take a nap. I was the only one in the building that I knew of. I woke and realized I missed lunch so I headed to the vending machine. I was choosing what to get when Kevin came by," I explain. I repeat the disgusting words Kevin had said to me. I didn't realize I'd been crying until I finished.

"He would've…I…I…I almost got r-r-raped," I stutter before fresh tears reach my eyes. I never imagined something like this would happen to me during my time here. I've heard how some women have been treated, but I thought that was mostly in the past. At least he's gone now.

"Do you wish to press assault charges?" he asks me, as he scribbles something down on a piece of paper. I shake my head 'no.' I don't need to be reminded of this again. He nods.

"I think it would be wise of you to take a few more self-defense and combat classes," he suggests. I nod.

"I'd like that," I say. "I never want to be in that position again." It was scary. It was truly scary. What would happen if something like that happened to me on the field? I need to make sure I would be able to defend myself.

"Look Plum, I'm glad I was passing by today. You're bright and quick anytime I give instructions. I'd hate for something to ruin your potential. I know you weren't expecting someone supposedly on your side to attack you, but be careful with everyone you meet," he says, "Sadly, women in the military aren't always treated fairly." I nod, knowing he's correct. I feel good though because he thinks I have potential.

"Thank you sir," I reply. "I'm glad you were here to teach me the ropes. You're very good at what you do. I hope I'm half as good as you someday." At my words he gives me a smile. His smile is drop dead gorgeous. He truly is a catch, and I hope he finds a good enough woman for him.

"You're words are too kind, Private," he comments. "Go ahead and finish filling your report." I nod and make short work of the form. I'm so glad Brown was there to help me. I turn in my form, and he gives me a nod as I leave. I head off to dinner and search for Mercedes.

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><p>AN: As always, reviews are appreciated! Thanks for sticking with me and the next chapter will be up next week.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews-I appreciated every single one! I'm gonna start replying...just haven't gotten to it yet!

Disclaimer: I don't own the ones you know.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

"My Ummah, Dawn has appeared, so await the expected victory.  
>The Islamic State has arisen by the blood of the righteous,<br>The Islamic State has arisen by the jihad of the pious,  
>They have offered their souls in righteousness with constancy and conviction,<br>So that the religion may be established, in which there is the law of the Lord of the Worlds."

We start and finish the ISIS anthem as my brother and I stand in front of the second in command. He has a long beard and a turban on his head, similar to Lester and myself. We had to use a lotion to increase our facial hair, and it worked pretty well. Hopefully, after we cut it off we won't have fast growing hair. We blend in easily with all the terrorists. It's six weeks into our journey, and we've made it this far. I only hope Abdul is as easily fooled as the rest of the men we have worked through. We've killed some, tortured some for answers, and yet no one suspects us: _thankfully_.

"Thank you for joining me, my brothers," Abdul starts, "it is so very nice to meet the men who have shown loyalty in these hard times." He gestures for us to take a seat. Lester's eyes meet mine and we proceed to sit.

"We are honored to have a meeting with you," I reply. "What can we do for you?" His eye has an evil glint in it.

"We're planning an attack on one of the Americans' military bases not too far from our country," Abdul explains. "We need men out there to capture and kill." He nods at us.

"This is where you will come in. I want you two to be the captains of this mission. If you succeed, Abu Bakr will meet with you. If you fail…" he smiles, "just don't fail."

"Of course," Lester replies. "Anything to hurt those filthy American terrorists." I nod in agreement even though every fiber of my being is against those words. These people take their religion and twist it so far that it doesn't even resemble the original thoughts of its creation. Abdul pulls out a map and details out the plan we are supposed to follow. Of course, we're planning on making a call to our General. He'll give us our next plan of action. All I know is that we need to take out Abu Bakr and his second. We may have a good chance of getting the forces behind us, but for them to follow nonviolence…that may be a stretch.

We work on the plan with Abdul for a solid two and a half hours before he tells us to leave. We take the maps, and he gives us some extra guns. We head to the little shanty we call our home for now. We're supposed to head out tomorrow afternoon. We get to our house, and Lester does a sweep for bugs. When it's all clear we make sure that all the windows and doors are closed before heading down to the little basement. I remove a couple bricks from the wall and pull out the sat phone. We dial our General and he picks up. We inform him of ISIS' plans.

"I guess you'll have to go in," he says, "make sure everyone believes you're on ISIS' side. We'll make sure our guys know of the attack. We'll also make sure they have your pictures. Take down as many as you can without them knowing you're doing it." I nod. This plan makes sense.

"It will most likely be chaotic. Do your best and don't get hurt," General Adams continues, "you're the best we have. Don't forget it."

"Signing off," Lester replies since we have our orders. We put the phone away and make our way back upstairs. I turn on a light in my room while Lester heads to the kitchen. I try to relax and tell myself it will be okay. I've done missions similar to this before, but nothing this in depth. I never had to go against my brothers. I know some cannot survive, but I have to try to protect as many as I can.

* * *

><p>"Private Stephanie Plum," Sergeant Major Brown calls my name and an applause goes up. I smile as I stand to walk. I receive a certificate and handshake from my mentor. I smile bright into the crowd. My parents have flown in to see this momentous occasion. I was happy to see them considering we're flying out to an army base in the Middle East tomorrow. I wonder if I'll be okay over there. I know I will only be helping fallen soldiers, but there's still a chance of getting hurt. After the ceremony, I'm greeted with open arms. My dad gives me a tight hug and places a kiss on my head.<p>

"I'm proud of you, pumpkin," he says with tears in his eyes. I know he's especially emotional because of his time in the service. I'm sure he had plenty of help from other medics. He released me and my mother was next.

"This wasn't the life I wanted for you Stephanie, but I'm very proud," she whispers in my ear. She steps back and sniffles into her tissue.

"Way to go, baby granddaughter!" Grandma Mazur says happily. "Met any hot fellas yet?" She gives me a wink. Of course, Sergeant Major Brown chooses this time to step up.

"Plum, a few words, please" he says in his commanding voice. I nod and step away from my family. Brown and I walk a couple paces away.

"Yes sir?" I ask, longing to be with my family for right now. His eyes soften, and he gives me a smile.

"It was a pleasure teaching you. I have faith that you'll do well overseas. I just want you to know that we leave at 0500 so don't stay out too late celebrating," he explains.

"Yes sir, Sergeant Major Brown," I reply with a nod. He chuckles.

"When I'm not giving you orders on base or overseas, just call me Bobby," he says easily, before shaking my hand.

"Only if you call me Stephanie or Steph," I comment, happy that I was earning the right to call my Sergeant a friend. He nods.

"See you bright and early, Steph." I wave goodbye and head back to my family.

"Well isn't he a looker!" Grandma comments appreciatively while licking her lips. I roll my eyes.

"That's my commanding officer, Grandma."

"He can command me anytime." Grandma gives me a wink and I sigh. Ever since Grandpa Mazur went to the big pot roast in the sky, Grandma has been eying men like their meat. She's pretty spunky, and I can't help but lover her.

"Who's ready for dinner?" My mom asks trying to ignore Grandma's last comment. Good choice, Mom, good choice. We head off base to enjoy a nice meal. It's bittersweet being with my family. I inform them that I ship out tomorrow although I don't mention where to. I know they already have a good idea, and they're not thrilled.

The next morning I get my gear on and lace up my boots. Mercedes is in in the bunk next to mine, and she's doing the same. It's a small team of combat medics heading out. Mercedes and I are the only two women. The others include: Brown, and two other guys.

"Alright ladies, hurry along," Seth jokes as he comes from across the aisle. He's one of the other guys headed with us. He's a tall redhead. He likes to joke.

"Yeah we don't have all day for you two to primp," Paul adds leaning against Mercedes bunk. Seth and Paul are two of the nicest guys I've ever met. They are very polite around women although now that we know them better they get a little raunchy. Our team is very tight which is part of the reason Brown picked us—or at least I like to believe that's why. Mercedes and I finish lacing up and stand.

"C'mon boys, we all know who the slow pokes are," Mercedes replies with a smirk. "And it's not us." With that we all head to the gate where a truck awaits us. Sergeant Major Brown is already waiting inside when we reach the truck—we're even ten minutes early.

"Nice to see you sleepyheads awake," Bobby comments as we get inside. The trucks rolls out before we get to sit down all the way. We're driven to an airstrip where we will be taking the plane.

* * *

><p>After getting situated in our vehicles, and having all the men informed, we head off. It takes us three hours to get to a stopping point not far from the where the attack will take place. I'm worried and rightfully so. These men have automatic weapons that Kevlar won't stop. It's a good thing Lester and I will be taking some of them out. The only thing that makes me feel a little better is that we're waiting for dusk to attack. I know the men will have cleared out of the base and will be awaiting our attack. While the men are setting up a couple of makeshift tents I grab Lester's attention. We walk a bit before I talk to him.<p>

"No matter what happens, make sure you follow through and become their leader if something happens to me," I say, "I know this is going to be dangerous, but just be sure nothing happens to yourself. I can take care of myself." He nods but I know he doesn't like my orders. I should make it out of this alive but my gut tells me I'm going to get into a lot of trouble. Lester gives me a quick hug before whispering, "Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country." I take comfort in our Ranger creed. We are brothers. I know he will not leave me.

"Make sure to complete the mission. You can get anyone to come find me," I say before repeating another part of the creed, "I do acknowledge the fact that a Ranger is a more elite Soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster, and fight harder than any other soldier." Lester slaps me on the back.

"We will both be fine." With those words we head back to "our men" in preparation for battle.

* * *

><p>AN: So I did some research for this chapter. The first lines of the chapter are real lines of the ISIS national anthem, only I picked which lines to use for my story and it's not the complete thing. Feel free to message me if you want the link for the whole thing because I can't get it to post correctly. The lines Lester and Ranger say to each other at the end are indeed parts of the real Ranger creed and if you want the link to the whole thing, message me.<p>

Hope you all liked it! Please review! Next chapter gets intense.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! I hope everyone has had happy holidays! Happy New Year! I hope the New Year is better than the last!

Disclaimer: I don't own JE's wonderful characters.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

We arrive at the army base at twelve in the afternoon. We're informed that there will be an attack on the base around dusk. At least we know. Two pictures flash on the board. Two Middle Eastern men with long black beards and turbans. At first I thought they were targets, but we're informed they are soldiers undercover. It must be so hard for them to do that. As soon as we get to the base, we're ordered to move everything into tents in the woods around us. It seems like the base was placed in the middle of nowhere. We take care to hide tents in the enclaves of the mountains while making sure everything is still accessible. Each of us medics is required to carry a four pound backpack full of medical supplies in case we get separated or in need. It's strange being in foreign country with men I don't know save three. I notice there are only ten women in the squad that's stationed at this base. Around four we all eat a small meal so we have energy for the up-coming battle. Brown gives us strict orders to only retrieve soldiers on his order. Six thirty comes too quickly, and the earth rocks under our feet. They seemed to have launched a rocket at the base. I see smoke rising from the trees. I scan the area for our enemies. I only see shadows moving but I know they're there.

In a flash bullets fly. The noise is louder than I imagined. Bursts of guns is shattering the silence. I hear men yelling but everything is happening in a blur. Brown has yet to issue us orders so we stay put, hidden behind some rocks and trees. I hear the scuffles of the men fighting and my heart is pounding in my chest. Sergeant Major Brown places a hand on my shoulder before pointing to a wriggling figure on the ground.

"Go." His command is a whisper, and I'm off. I crouch low, I have a small gun in my hand that I had un-holstered on my way to retrieve the man. When I get to him, I crouch even lower. I place the gun back in my holster before hoisting the man up. He's on my shoulder, and his added weight is crushing. I manage to run, out of breath, as fast as I can. I make it back to the tents. We place him on one of the makeshift tables. The man is conscious as we ask him what hurts. We see a gunshot wound in his abdomen. Our goal is to patch the soldiers up the best we can before we transport them to the hospital. Brown is giving orders to the others while I work on my man. I find that the bullet has gone clean through. I start to sweat from all the exertion and worry. If the bullet went clean through…it must be extremely powerful. I clean his wound quickly before patching him up. Once I'm finished, he pains himself by sitting up and then moving to the floor. He smiles in gratitude.

Brown touches my shoulder again and points at my next target. I hustle out time and time again. Our men keep falling, thank heavens, they seem to be flesh wounds and not fatal. I keep making runs, and my legs are shaking by the time the bullets stop. Sergeant Major has been loading our fallen soldiers into a transport vehicle while Mercedes and Paul work on the wounded Seth and I have been bringing back.

"We've got orders to head out!" Brown shouts as he loads the last soldier into the vehicle. We all run to catch up when I hear a lone gunshot and a body fall about a hundred yards away. I glance back in the dark that has now come to see the man fall. I can't tell from here if he's an enemy or ally, but I know I can't leave him. I turn to see Brown counting our soldiers, but I know I _have_ to help that man. I run quickly in a zig zag line in case someone decides I'm worth shooting at. I reach the injured man and gasp. He's breathing in jagged breaths, but he's one of them. I jump back and he reaches an arm out.

"Please," the man's words are little more than a whisper. I lean closer only to see he's one of the men from the pictures. I feel relief in my chest. Now, I just need to get him back to the truck. Rapid gunfire forces me to fall on the ground. I stay still and my eyes dart to the fallen soldier. His eyes have closed and his breathing has slowed. The gunshots come from the side the truck was on now. Shit! I can't go back that way. Once I'm sure the gunfire has been drawn away from us, I stand and hoist the man up. I carry him deeper into the woods since the other way isn't safe anymore. I run for at least five minutes before I'm truly dragged down by his dead weight. I see a rock formation and make my way to the crude shelter. This was not the brightest idea, but something called me to help him. Thankfully, the rocks form a small cave. I pull him inside, and take out a small blanket from my pack. I put it behind his head. I assess his body. I see a bullet wound in his thigh. I pull out a small lamp and place it in the back of the cave. I'll need to remove his pants to see his wound properly. I grit my teeth, glance behind me, and proceed to remove his pants. I manage to get them down to his knees. Thankfully, his boxers are farther up from his wound so I won't need to remove them. I grab some antiseptic from my bag along with my forceps. I spread some antiseptic on his wound, and I search my bag for the little anesthetic I have. I make sure I have a tourniquet on his upper thigh in case the bleeding gets too bad. I lean in to give him the anesthetic, but a hand stops me. I gasp and look into the man's eyes. They're a deep, warm brown, and they don't match the person he is pretending to be.

"What are you doing?" he asks, his voice rough. I guess he's probably surprised to see a woman about to stick him with a needle while his pants are at his knees. I blush for a minute.

"I'm about to give you a little anesthetic so you won't feel anything while I try and dig the bullet out," I explain as my hands awkwardly hover over his bare legs.

"It will only numb my leg, right?" he questions. I give an affirmative nod.

"Go ahead," he agrees as he releases my hand that I forgot he was holding. I place one hand on his thigh as I slip the needle into his leg—close to the wound. I push the plunger in. Once it's empty, I pull it out of his leg. He's watching me closely.

"You risked your life to get me here, didn't you?" he questions seemingly touched by the sentiment. I smile and nod as I wait a couple minutes for the numbing to set in.

"My name is Stephanie Plum. I'm a combat medic and only a Private. Sergeant Major Brown is my commanding officer," I explain as I grab my forceps. I gently touch the open wound, and my eyes flashed to see if he is in pain. His face is relaxed which I take to mean he can't feel it. With that, I dig deeper and see the bullet. It seems to be lodged deep in the muscle tissue—I can only hope I numbed him well. I get the forceps around the bullet and glance back to check him. He has yet to so much as flinch. I concentrate at the task at hand. Steady, like with the first dummy I worked on, I pull gently. I hear him stifle a groan and grit his teeth.

"I'm sorry," I say before pulling harder. Luckily, the bullet comes; unlucky, blood comes gushing out. I grab the gauze hanging out of my bag and place it on his wound with considerable pressure. Shit! Shit! Shit!

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><p>AN: I figured it was appropriate to stop there...hehe. I hope you are all still enjoying, if you are, let me know with a review! Thanks for reading!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

So it's technically Tuesday...*Peeks out behind cover anxiously* Hi! Hope you all don't want to strangle and maim me for the cliffy from last chapter...not to worry. This chapter is a lot more tame...and nice. I'm posting earlier than normal because I've been on a roll with this story. I'm up to 47 pages with at least 12 chapters so far! I'm not even close to finished yet. It's exciting and the story went in a direction I was not expecting...it's all good though. So I hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters-just the plot!

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

"Soo," he draws lazily, "you know Bobby Brown." His voice snaps me out of my panic and I blush. I don't know why, but I do. The way he said that was so..so sexual. I nod. I focus on the rushing blood and I'm relieved to see the blood flow is coagulating and slowing. All that panic for nothing. I dig through my bag to find my needle and surgical thread. I quickly sew him up and have gauze covering the wound. I pack my things back up after sanitizing them with alcohol wipes. Our packs truly carry everything.

"He's a great guy…erhm commanding officer," I correct as I check the opening of our makeshift hideaway. The man quirks an eyebrow at my response. I notice he hasn't bothered to pull his pants back up, and I can't help but see his well-toned, muscular thighs.

"You realize you could be dead for talking to an enemy likes this," he says, and a flash of panic swells up in my chest. What if…I saved the wrong guy? No, I know I didn't. He obviously knew Bobby, he hasn't tried to kill me, and my spidey-sense tells me he is a good guy.

"It's a good thing you're not an enemy then, isn't it?" I ask raising an eyebrow in a challenge. I may not know his name or anything, but I'm not one to forget a face easily. I _know _he's one of the guys they were showing us back before the base was blown up. I put my backpack on my back in case we have to leave unexpectedly before sitting down next to him and watching the entrance to the cave.

"My name is Fahad," the man says, and I wrinkle my nose. He's totally lying.

"No it's not," I reply quickly, sure of myself. He gives me a look.

"My name is Fahad Imani, you filthy Americans killed my mother when I was just a child. Now I'm seeking revenge," he states calmly, and the accent I didn't remember him having was full blown. I whip my gun out and aim at him faster than he moved.

* * *

><p>Before I can finish telling her my back story, Plum had a gun pulled on me. Huh, I guess she was trained by one of the best: One of my men. The notion makes me feel proud. I don't know how she knows exactly, but she isn't buying my story, and even with the gun drawn on me, I see the disbelief in her eyes. While her gun is aimed at me I get the chance to examine her. She looks good in her uniform, and her curves are visible. Her face is thin and heart shaped. And her eyes, her eyes are the darkest blue I've ever seen. She's gorgeous, and maybe she's the reason I was sent on this mission. Her eyes narrow. She's got a fire in her.<p>

"What are you planning, _Fahad_?" she questions with emphasis on my name. "And how would _you_ know Sergeant Major Brown's first name?" Good question, Plum, good question. So good, I'm not exactly sure how to answer that.

"I'm not planning anything, Ms. Plum," I reply before taking a gasp as a stab of pain comes from my wound. The sound makes her resolve falter. I quickly disarm her and pin her wrists above her head. We're pelvis to pelvis and suddenly I wish she knew me. Her eyes grow wide and she stills beneath me, realizing our predicament at the same time as I do. Her breathing is heavy, almost panicky. I release her but keep the gun. I'm not sure whether or not to question her, but I do know I wouldn't mind being in that position again. I shake my head to clear the thoughts from my head—never going to happen. We both still at the sound of footsteps. Before I can even order her to, she turns off the lamp she had. We stay silent, and I raise the gun.

"Fahad Imani, are you out here?" an Arabic accent calls from somewhere in the distance. In the shadows I see Stephanie assess what I'm going to do. I slowly get up, and I imagine her eyes widen in surprise. I move quietly, hoping she will trust me.

"Over here," I call out, and thankfully only one pair of footsteps comes near.

"Fahad, are you alright?" one of "my men" asks while looking me over with a flashlight.

"Yes, are you the only one looking for me?" I question, and as I see his nod, something slams into me from behind. Shit. I lose my balance and fall down.

"Don't shoot!" I command. "I captured this medic to fix my wound." I lie and I see Stephanie running in the distance. I pick myself up and quickly snap the soldier's neck. I run after her as fast as I can. Considering the pain I'm in, I do it well. I crash into her back, and flatten her to the ground.

"Unh," is the only sounds she makes. We're back in the same position as the cave. Christ, this woman is trying to kill me.

"Get off!" She screams, eyes closed, fists wildly swinging. "No! Get off!" I see her panicking and I'm not positive why since I've made no moves to hurt her other than pinning her down. Her breathing is hard and ragged. Suddenly, it changes, her eyes open, and I'm tumbling underneath her. Slick moves, kid. She has a knife at my throat. Resourceful too.

"Where's my gun?" she asks keeping the knife right on my throat. "I may have saved you, but I need to save myself. I have a family to get back to." My eyes dart to my right hand. She glances and sees the gun a little farther over. With her pelvis tilting as she moves to reach it, I can't help but groan. I should not find this sexy! Her eyes dart over to mine. I wonder what she thinks of me since I'm dressed like one of _them_. Her hand clutches the gun while she doesn't take her eyes off of me. I guess I might as well tell her who I am so we can stop this cat and mouse game.

"Let's go back to the little cave, it will offer us protection tonight," I say, "I'll come willingly, and I will tell you everything." She looks at me warily, but nods all the same. She gets up slowly, gun trained on me. Good girl. We head back to where we came from. She almost trips over the dead body and gives me a glance instead.

* * *

><p>I don't know if my spidey-senses are off or if he's just playing this really, really well. The man who had come looking for him is currently dead. That wouldn't make sense if he was on <em>their<em> side. We get back to the cave, and I order him to sit down.

"Alright, I'll do the asking here," I state calmly. This guy had already freaked me out. With him in such close proximity and being on top of me, I am reminded of Kevin; however, I felt a surge of lust with this man after I realized he wasn't planning on anything. These feelings are so wrong.

"What's your real name?" I give him a pointed look. He looks hesitant and then whatever debate he was having inside his head was over.

"My name is Captain Carlos Manoso. I am currently doing an undercover assignment for the United States government where I pose as an ISIS supporter in order to gain trust and infiltrate their group." Ha! I was right after all. I knew he wasn't a bad guy. I knew I had seen his face before. The lying bastard.

"How do you know Bobby?" is the next question out of my mouth. How does he know my friend, my mentor, and commander? He gives me a smirk as though I know Bobby intimately.

"The better question is _how well_ do you know Sergeant Major Brown?" the cocky bastard questions. I narrow my eyes and aim my gun at him.

"I asked first _and_ I have the gun." He shrugs.

"We toured together _and_ we own a business together," Carlos says with no inflection in his tone.

"Why did you lie to me at first?"

"I wasn't sure how I was going to play this. Did I want someone knowing who I am and then go back to the organization? Or do I let you know and have the organization believe me to be dead? I'm going with the latter obviously, and anyone I do run into will end up dead." Well played, Manoso, well played. I lower the gun and holster it.

"My turn," the Captain says. I raise an eyebrow, not sure if I'm going to like this.

"Go on then," I reply. I turn the lantern back on and my eyes adjust to the new brightness introduced to our little cavern.

"Why did you react so strongly when I was merely on top of you?" he questions, "surely you didn't expect me to…" He trails off but I know what he's going to say. I don't know why I reacted so strongly. He had none of the same energy as Kevin, but I guess I was still worried about the incident reoccurring without me being able to stop it. A blush of embarrassment floods my cheeks.

"No…I…uh…overreacted," I finish lamely, ashamed of my instinctual feelings. Even when I thought he was the bad guy, I knew he was innately good. My body, however, only remembered the last time a guy I barely knew attacked me. He narrows his eyes but accepts my answer.

"Now, really, how well do you know Bobby? He doesn't let just anyone, especially a Private, call him by his first name." My lips turn up into a smile at his name. Bobby, my hero, my mentor, my big brother.

"He's helped me so much, and I guess he just saw something in me that he liked," I say honestly. "After the ceremony, he told me I could call him Bobby. I guess that happens when you go through things with somebody." He helped me with the Kevin situation, and in turn I had helped him when he was outnumbered in a bar fight. Win-win. Speaking of Bobby…shit. I bet he's worried sick right now. I turn and look at Carlos.

"Bobby!" I exclaim. "He's probably worried about me! I didn't—he doesn't..." I can't finish a sentence. I know I would be worried sick about him if he hadn't returned to the truck during the firefight. Carlos scoots closer and places a hand on my shoulder. I can feel the warmth all the way to my bones. I feel comforted by this action, and I lean in instinctively.

"We'll figure out a plan tomorrow, but it's late," he replies. "I'm sure he won't give up looking for you." I nod, knowing he's right. He rolls out the blanket and places it on the floor. I put my backpack up to use as a makeshift pillow.

"Should one of us keep watch?" I question. He shrugs.

"I'm a light sleeper, and I doubt anyone will be looking this late at night," he says. I nod, he's right.

"Don't get any ideas," I say as I lay down with him following next to me. I lay done on my back and drift off into a fitful sleep.

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><p>AN: So they finally meet! And there is undeniable attraction! What happens next for this duo? I hope you all are still enjoying! Let me know by reviewing! Thanks for reading and the love!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the confusion! I accidentally posted this chapter instead of my actual Chapter 6 so I went ahead and changed it and just posted this one early. Thanks for someone pointing it out! So you may have read this chapter but not actual chapter 6.

Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews! I'm especially happy and motivated to continue posting. :)

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own JE's characters-you know who they are.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Spending only a couple of hours with one Stephanie Plum has turned my world upside down. Who knew I would be affected by a woman like this? I never saw this coming in a million years. And to think she may have a relationship with Brown—I don't think I could handle that. Something traumatic obviously happened to her—something that obviously she's still dealing with. It must not be too bad seeing as how she drifts to sleep quickly while I'm beside her. I feel the heat coming off of her. I put my arms behind my head and close my eyes. I listen to her even breathing, and I relax. It's been a long time since I shared a room with a woman while we sleep. Sure, I've had a few female companions but none that stayed the night—ever. I drift off into a dreamless slumber only to be awakened by a warm mass curling into my side. My eyes open and a smile graces my lips as I see Stephanie huddled next to me. I should not be feeling like this about some woman I just met. She did save my life…and stitched me up all at risk to herself. She even knew I wasn't really Fahad. The list is in her favor, maybe that's why Brown lets her call him Bobby. Hell, I'd let her call me anything she wants. I shake my head at these thoughts. I've never thought about a woman like this since I was a teenage boy in love for the first time. She scoots closer and an arm flings over my stomach, pulling me closer to her sleeping form.

"Warm…protection…safe," are jumbled words I hear out of her mouth. I'm at a full blown grin now, knowing she feels safe by my side. I stretch my toes and drift back to sleep. I'm wretched awake by a muffled shout. Stephanie's on her back, clawing at the air.

"Stop! No!" she says firmly, even though her eyes are shut. She's clawing at an unseen enemy. I scoot closer and rub her arms.

"Babe," I say in a low, even tone. "It's okay. You're okay. It's just a dream." What happened to this woman? She flinches and I see her about to panic again.

"Stephanie!" I yell, and her eyes shoot open. She scans her surroundings like a trapped doe as tears well in her eyes. I pull her into my arms even if it's not the right thing to do. For some reason, I am attracted to this woman—maybe it's fate. I rock her back and forth slowly as silent tears spill from her sapphire blue eyes. I never want to see her tears again.

"Shh…it's okay, babe, it's okay," I whisper in a soothing tone as I rub her arms. Her tears finally dry and she looks up at me.

"Thank you," she whispers, hanging her head in order to not meet my eyes. I put a finger under her chin to force her to look up.

"Hey, it's okay. No one is going to hurt you," I promise to this woman who has managed to capture my respect…and quite possibly my heart in such a short time. She nods before closing her eyes and letting out a breath.

"It was back at Fort Sam Houston," she starts and I tense for a second, afraid of what I'll hear. "It was nothing really." Nothing really? Nothing really doesn't explain her nightmare.

"There was a guy in my class named Kevin. I knew he was a creep because of the way he would talk to the other ladies in our class, and I never interacted with him," she pauses before continuing. "One day when we had free time I found myself alone in the bunk room. I had taken a nap and woke up realizing I missed lunch. I went down to the vending machine to get some food when he showed up." She shuts her eyes tight. I'm not sure if she's reliving it or trying to erase it from her mind.

"He stalked towards me confidently, I was about to get my food when he started talking to me. I thought maybe if I addressed him, he would go away. No such luck. He told me he wanted a 'sweet sugar plum to eat.'" She shudders in my arms at the memory. I guess her last name is Plum.

"I bent down to get my food, keeping an eye on him of course. It didn't help. He still smacked my ass," she says, looking down as a tear falls. "I knew he was a creep, but I didn't know he'd actually _touch_ me." I nod as I feel anger flow through my veins. How dare someone touch her without her permission? I'm furious.

"I yelled at him not to touch me, and I backed away. He pinned me to the wall," she says drawing in a shaky breath, "I caught him off guard with a knee to his nuts. I almost made it to the door, but he was a big man. He grabbed my shoulder causing me to fall to the floor. He kept coming towards me, blocking the only exit in sight." She pauses, and I don't pressure her. I know she will continue. After everything I've seen from her, I know she is brave.

"I was backed up to another wall. I tried standing in hopes of running for it, but he was on me too fast. He slapped me and he…he…m-managed to get my pants down. I had started sobbing at that point. He was too close and too cautious for me to be able to make a break for it that time. He was close to getting what he wanted when the door slammed opening. It broke his attention long enough for me to slam my palm into his nose and elbow him in the stomach. I ran to the light at the end of the tunnel and it just so happened to be Sergeant Major Brown. I had never been so happy and relieved in my life." Ahhh, so this incident is in part why they became so close.

"Bobby slammed Kevin into the wall and kicked him out. I'll never forget the look Kevin gave me as he left—one of pure hatred. One with a promise that I would pay. I have nightmares on and off…mostly when I've gotten into physical combat. The dream is always the same—he finishes what he started, and I can't do anything about it. This is my first one in three weeks." I nod, and squeeze her tight. No wonder my pinning her arms made her react the way she did. I'm also glad my man had been there for her.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," I murmur in her ear, grateful that she would share such a story with me. She nods, clinging to me. I lay back with her on my chest. I stroke her hair until she falls back asleep. I stay awake, thinking of how I would find this scumbag and teach him a lesson he'll never forget. I settle uncomfortably back into the ground, and sigh. I'd never imagine holding a woman in this way especially since we're in the middle of a war zone. My mind drifts off and my eyes flutter close as I fall asleep.

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><p>I wake up feeling warm, but the cool air reminds me of where I am. My eyes move to the man who is holding me in his arms. His eyes are close, his breathing even, and I can see the man behind the beard. His jaw is strong, his nose slim, and his eyes wary but soft in his slumber. He looks at peace and a small smile graces his full lips. I'm tempted to wake him with a soft kiss but that would be ridiculous. He turns slightly, his arms falling away from me. With the opportunity, I move slowly and silently. I don't want to wake him again since I already did last night. I get up without him stirring. He must be extremely tired. I move outside of the cave with my backpack. I scrounge around the bottom where I know some astronaut food is located. Yummy. I have enough for about two weeks for one person or one week for two people. That should do. My eyes roam the area. I see smoke a ways away, and I know it's from the destroyed army base. The woods are eerily silent in the early morning light. I hear not a word from feet nor animals, but a small trickling noise grabs my attention. I make my way quickly to the noise and happily see a stream. The water is clear, but I don't want to take chances. I gather some up with a small metal bowl tucked in the front pocket of my backpack. I quickly gather some sticks to make a small fire. When I've started the fire I put the water over it. As the water boils I think back to the events of yesterday.<p>

I can't believe I risked my life for a man I didn't know. Thankfully, I made the right choice. I don't know if he would have survived the blood loss before someone would have found him. It's a comfort to know that he and Bobby are friends. I trust Bobby and so I extend my trust to Carlos. I wonder where he's from or if he works in the same building in Trenton as Bobby does. He's mentioned his boss Ranger but never anyone by the name of Carlos. Footsteps break my train of thought. I instinctively grab the gun in my holster and aim in the direction of the noise. I put the gun down as I realize it's only Carlos. I give him a small smile which he returns. In the light of day I see how tall he is, and muscular in his cargo pants and loose fitting shirt. I see he's taken the turban off to reveal his silky black hair. It stops right before is neck.

"Good morning," he greets pleasantly before taking a seat on the ground beside me. The water finishes boiling, and I pour it carefully into my unrolled pouch canteen.

"Do you have a plan?" I ask as I scoop up more water to boil.

"I need to get in contact with my General, and we need to figure out where to go from here," he replies and I realize he doesn't have much of a plan.

"I believe Bobby's probably looking for—or planning on looking for me. I know they setup a hospital about fifteen miles away from the army base that was destroyed last night. I'd say that's our best bet," I inform him before pouring the newly cleaned water in with the water from earlier.

"Sounds like a good idea," he agrees, "we should get going soon then." I nod. I pack the bowl into my backpack and stand. Ranger hands me the blanket from seemingly out of nowhere. I stuff it in my bag along with the water. We head off towards the army base so we have a starting point. We walk silently, listening for possible enemies. We walk at least a mile before he says anything.

"Why did you come back for me when you could easily be with your squad right now?" he asks not taking his eyes off what is in front of him. I glance over, but I don't reply just yet. I don't even know what possessed me to help him.

"To be honest…I don't know. I just felt like I was supposed to. At the time I didn't even know if you were ally or enemy. Something just pulled me to you," I reply. I don't look at him as I wait for him to process my words.

"How odd," are his only words. I shrug. I guess we were meant to find each other for some reason, but I don't know why yet.

"Thank you for calming me down last night," I start, feeling like I owe him something. He doesn't say a word as we walk in silence once more. We've gone at least another mile and a half when I notice his slight limp. I can see the pain etched in his face when he doesn't know I'm looking. His wound must be really bothering him. I know it can't be good for his stitches to constantly be moving…and he did run me down last night.

"Let's stop so I can check your stitches," I suggest as we near some large boulders amidst a clearing in the trees. He nods before sitting down on one of the rocks. He makes no move to remove his pants.

"You…uh…I need to remove your pants," I say blushing at the thought. He smirks at me before undoing his pants and pulling them down. I try not to stare and focus solely on his wound. I carefully lift the gauze. I see redness and swelling. I take some things from my backpack and carefully clean the wound. He sucks in a breath through his teeth as I place a hand above his wound while I inspect with the other.

"Are you alright?" I inquire, hoping his wound isn't giving him too much trouble. I get out some clean gauze and reapply it over his wound.

"It's just a dull throb now that I'm sitting," he says as I gently prod his surrounding leg, checking for tenderness. He closes his eyes as I finish my small exam. I pull my hands away.

"Maybe we should only walk half days so it doesn't get any more irritated," I hedge unsure if he'd go along with that or not.

"If you wanted to spend a lot of time with me—all you had to do was ask," he replies with a twinkle in his eye. My face grows warm at the accusation.

"That's not what I meant at all!" I huff, crossing my arms. "Whatever then, let's go. I don't want to spend more time with you than I have to." I pack up my supplies and glare at Carlos. I don't know what it is about that man that can send my blood boiling. Stupid man, thinking I found him irresistible. Please. I see him laughing silently as he pulls up his pants.

"Babe, calm down. I was only kidding," he informs me once he catches his breath. "You're cute when you're mad." Excuse me?

"Who gives you the right to call me 'Babe' in some seductive voice? Like I'll fall for you with your kind eyes, tall stature, and big muscles," I rant looking at him. By the time I'm finished he's closer than before. A smile plays at his lips and his eyes noticeably darken. He pulls me in with one hand on my hip and he cups the back of my head with the other as he kisses me. It starts off slow, and he deepens it. I can feel heat pooling in my belly. My hoohah is humming. Wow. I let out a low moan as he swirls my bottom lip with his tongue. He pulls away because of our need to breathe. I blink a couple of times trying to clear the fog he just created in my brain. He graces me with another smirk. Smug bastard. He got me heated up and certain lady bits tingling. Damn Italian-Hungarian hormones. And I haven't had anything sugary in weeks! I decide to ignore him and start walking again. My lips are still tingling from the kiss he put on me. I unconsciously put my hand to my lips in amazement. I'd never felt something like that from a kiss before.

The temperature doesn't warm up much while we're walking. The scenery stays the same. All woods with rocks. Most the leaves have fallen but there's nothing to see otherwise. Carlos hasn't said anything since our kiss. I think it caught him off guard too. We stop when we hear a whistle in the distance. My eyes dart to Carlos', what's happening? Before we can decide what to do, a whizzing passes by my ear. I turn to see Carlos crumple to the floor.

"Oh my god!" I scream, falling back to help him. I drop to the ground, and hope whoever just took this shot is far away. I scan the area, hoping to find some form of protection. I don't know how I got this lucky, but I see one of the many rock formations we had been passing. I hear more gunfire in the distance. I pull Carlos onto my back and head towards our only protection. I feel relief when I see a bigger cave than the one we were in early this morning. I drag him to the very back and hope no one comes closer. I find the lamp in my bag, and turn it on so I can examine his new wound. He was shot in the chest. My hands tremble as I make sure he still has a pulse. I cry out when I find it. I quickly pull his shirt off. His chest is smooth except for the golf ball size hole on the right side of his body. The edges of the hole are jagged as blood spills from his wound. I can't even see the bullet. I pull out my medical supplies, but I know it won't stop the bleeding. I see his eyes flutter.

"St…stephanie?" he questions, voice weak. Tears spring to my eyes. I _have_ to save him.

"I'm right here," I murmur as I get out the syringe. I numb his chest and the minutes tick by. I take a breath and only hope I can reach the bullet. I slowly lower my forceps into the gaping hole, and feel around. Five minutes feels like an hour as I move deeper in my search for the bullet. His breathing has gotten shallower and his skin more pale. My breath catches when I hear the faint clink of my forceps on the bullet. It's too far in for me to see so I have to do it all by touch. I manage to get my forceps around the mangled bullet. I pull up carefully, but the bullet is stuck. A tear falls from my cheek as I realize the pain and the blood loss he will endure. I grip the forceps tighter as I pull with more force. A gush of blood covers my hand and his chest. He groans. I keep going. The sooner I get the bullet out, the sooner I can stitch him up. The bullet comes slowly, taking its sweet time. Everything around me has disappeared and my sole focus is on the man in front of me. I finally get the bullet out. I throw it on the floor and clean up his blood. I put pressure on the wound hoping it will stop. It doesn't right away. I don't want to stitch him up until the blood stops. I take a wad of the gauze and press it to his wound before taking some medical wrap and tightly wrapping it to make the gauze stay in place. Exhausted from the effort and the growing darkness outside the cave, I close my eyes for a minute.

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><p>AN: Badass Private Stephanie Plum to the rescue...again! I don't know about you guys but I'm enjoying the change from being the rescue-e to being the rescuer. As always, let me know what you think!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I'm glad you all enjoyed the two chapters last week! Whoops :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the ones you know.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

My eyes slowly open, and I feel drained. I'm disoriented and don't remember where I am or how I got here. My eyes scan the surroundings. Am I back inside the cave from this morning? The depth would tell me no. I glance over at a bloody Stephanie whose eyes are closed. Is she okay? I make a move to sit up and check on her. Instant pain and dizziness make me groan and fall back. The noise startles her and her eyes open wide.

"Carlos," she breathes, sitting up. "You shouldn't move." She carefully sets my head back on the rolled up blanket. She checks the wound I didn't realize was in my chest. She gives me a small smile.

"You lost a lot of blood, but the bleeding has stopped now. I'm going to clean it up a bit before sewing up the hole," she informs me as she grabs some supplies. She apologizes about being out of anything to numb the pain. I've been in worse situations with less sterile tools. I'm sure I'll be fine with this gorgeous nurse taking care of me. She takes her needle and pierces my skin. I clench my teeth to hold back from making a noise or moving. I can't let her see how much it hurts because I know she will only feel worse. She works quickly for which I am grateful, but the pain doesn't lessen. She finishes by tying it off neatly and placing fresh gauze on my wound. I wonder how much of that she has left. She rifles through her backpack once more before sterilizing her equipment and storing it again. She pulls out her water pouch and a shiny pouch. She dribbles some water into my mouth and then feeds me the freeze dried food. I tried to stop her, but my arms felt too weak to hold up. We sit in silence as we hear the occasional gunshot in the distance.

"Thank you for saving my life again," I tell her sincerely. "I must have gotten hit with a stray bullet." She nods and squeezes my hand.

"I thought I almost lost you from the amount of blood you lost," she whispers, and I wonder if she feels our connection too. What would I do without my personal guardian angel saving me after every bullet? My eyelids feel heavy before I can say anything more. She brushes the hair away from my face as I drift to sleep.

Sleep is uneasy, and I feel sweaty. Tossing and turning awakens me with pain. Stephanie is there to dribble water into my mouth and shh me back to sleep. I don't know how long I sleep for, but I'm in and out. I know I am as safe as I can be in this situation. Stephanie is watching over me, and caring for me in a way I never thought I would need. Finally, I feel rested and my body seems to cool down. I open my eyes slowly and see the natural sunlight filtering into the opening of our hideaway.

"How are you feeling?" She asks, putting a hand to my head. She smiles and looks me in the eyes. "Your fever has gone down." I smile back.

"How long was I out?" I question, I want to sit up, but I know that's not an option right now. She frowns.

"Three days," she replies quietly, studying the ground. Three days? Three days.

"You're body seemed to be fighting off an infection or virus, although neither of your wounds are infected. I was able to feed you two Tylenol pills and water, but you've had little else," she explains. "I've been worried." I feel bad for making her worry. I want to grab her hand and tell her I'll be fine. She hands me some food, and I accept it quickly. I finish eating and realize I need to relieve myself. It has been three days after all.

"Can you help me get outside?" I ask, hating the neediness. I wish my body wouldn't betray me like this, but I have no other choice. I know I can't walk on my own. She nods.

"There hasn't been any gunfire since you were hit," she says. "I think I'll venture out tonight in search of the base we're looking for." My eyes dart to her.

"No," I reply. "You can't go alone." She stops in her movements to pin me with her gaze.

"Then who do you suggest goes with me?" she questions. "You obviously can't go in your condition, and we're running out of supplies. I'm our best bet." Her argument is reasonable but I don't want her to go alone. I couldn't even fathom what I would do if she got hurt. When I don't say anything, she continues helping me up. I'm angered that I have to lean so heavily on her. My legs almost crumple beneath me, but she supports my weight. She takes me to a tree outside, and I lean on it for support. She stands by my side. I shoot her a look, and she turns around. I fumble with my pants but manage alright. After finishing and pulling my pants back up, I grab her arm as she leads me back to the cave. I settle down and she gets me another sip of water. She eyes me cautiously.

"Maybe I should wait until tomorrow night," she says as she takes in my ragged appearance. I nod. Even though I'd hate to admit it, she's probably right. I can barely stand on my own. She sits quietly against the back wall of the cave. I see she braided her hair and cleaned the blood of herself. She leans her head back against the cave and closes her eyes. I can see the dark circles underneath of her eyes. She looks as tired as I feel after my short trip to the bathroom. She sighs before opening her eyes.

"Tell me about yourself," I request so we can both take our minds off where we are and what we're going to do. She looks at me but doesn't protest.

"I'm from Trenton, New Jersey where I was raised by my mother and father. I have an older sister named Valerie who is considered the perfect child," she informs me, "I was the rebel child who jumped off the garage roof trying to fly, who hit Joe Morelli with the Buick, and who hasn't settled down to have a family. Instead I joined the army nurse corps." So she's from Trenton where my second office building is located, and like I thought, she has a fire within her.

"My best friend Mary Lou is already settled down with a husband and kids, and my sister moved to California where she got married and currently has a baby girl," she continues, "I just finished nursing classes I had been taking secretly. Told my boyfriend of three years I had joined the nurse corps, informed my parents, and I packed it up to Fort Sam Houston. I now have more friends: my team. And I think I know who I am now." She stops talking and gives me a look.

"Did you expect any of that?" she questions seeming to be unsure of herself. This woman is the strangest, most wonderful I've ever met. One minute she's on fire, full of spunk, and the next she's unsure and quiet.

"No, but it's nice to hear that you chose your own path rather than follow everyone else's," I reply honestly. She flashes me an award winning smile.

"Now, why don't you tell me about yourself," she suggests, scooting closer to me. I nod.

"Well, my parents live in Newark, New Jersey but I was a troublemaker as a child so they sent me down to Florida to live with my grandparents. I grew up with no real plan, but 9/11 happened. I joined the Army which is where I met many of my business partners and closest brothers. We became Rangers together, and I was appointed the leadership position. Most of them call me Ranger," I start with the basics, "After doing our tours, we went to college thanks to Uncle Sam. Afterwards, I opened up a security business called RangeMan and Bobby is one of my partners. We have three locations and one happens to be in Trenton." I give her a smile and she nods back.

"If you finished your tour, then why are you here now?" I had a feeling she would ask that.

"I never retired or was discharged. I simply go in for missions that are difficult," I explain, "I was called in along with my business partner Lester." She nods and we drift into silence.

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><p>AN: Thanks for all the wonderful support and reviews! They keep the muse going. Next chapter will be up next week! Tell me what you thought.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you all for reading! I hope you'll review and tell me what you think. :)

_Disclaimer_: I don't own the usual characters.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

I had never been so glad for someone to wake up before watching Carlos sleep. I enjoyed getting to know his back story and why he was here now. I'm guessing he's about four years older than me judging by his appearance and when he joined the military. He is a good man. Now I have no doubts. I know he's nervous about me going out tonight without him, but he really is in no condition to walk much less run if we have to. I put it off by a day, but I can't any longer. We need to get help and get out of here. We're down to two days left of food, and we have even less water. I'm worried about leaving him while he's in his weakened condition. I know he's a highly trained and capable soldier, but after getting shot twice and fighting off his fever, he's in no position to be doing anything.

We spend the day getting to know each other. We talk about our families, and I learn about Carlos' many siblings. He has three sisters and two brothers. I can't even imagine growing up with that many. It was hard enough with just Valerie, but I guess if I had more I would have been able to avoid my parent's wrath. He's doing better today so I won't feel as bad leaving him. I'll give him my extra gun just in case. There hasn't been any gunfire near us since a couple days ago when he was hit with the stray bullet. I don't know what we would have done if someone had actually aimed for him and came after us. I wonder if they're all at the hospital still. I have about ten miles to go still if my calculations have been correct. We ran six miles a day back at Fort Sam Houston so hopefully I can do ten easily. I won't be carrying my pack because Carlos will need it, and I will have no use for it if I'm captured or if I find the squad. I have three hours until sunset, before I head off.

"Are you worried?" Carlos' voice asks through the fog of my thoughts. I turn to look at him. I wonder what he really looks like without his beard. I know he's handsome, but I feel like he will look like a different person.

"A little," I reply, hesitating before continuing, "I'm worried about leaving you here alone." He shrugs.

"You have no choice, like you pointed out yesterday," he says, "you're not worried about yourself?" I do a half-shrug and shake my head.

"Not so much. I'm pretty quick, if I hear or feel anything strange I'll find a place to hide," I inform him, "I have to believe I'll make it to my goal. If I can't believe then there's no point of me trying." He nods to show I make a good point.

"Don't worry about me," he says seriously, making sure to look me in the eyes. "You won't be focused if your mind is on me. I don't want you getting hurt." I grab his hand, and it feels right. He doesn't pull away but rubs circles in my hand with his thumb.

"I'll do my best, Captain," I say, "but I'm definitely coming back for you." He shoots me a smile, and he tugs me closer with his hand. I'm careful not to touch his chest as he stretches to kiss my lips. His lips are soft, warm, and welcoming. I close my eyes and get lost in the feeling. The very real truth is I might not come back. I might get ambushed or shot while on my way, but it's either that or stay here and rot. So, I get lost in the moment with the man I saved—twice. Maybe we'll connect after we're both home, maybe we won't, but right now it's worth it. I pull back slowly.

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><p>Stephanie leaves too soon for my liking, but then again her leaving is not to my liking. Maybe it's because of the danger we are in, but I can't help the attraction I feel towards her. It's definitely not normal for me. I've worked with women in the field before and some had even saved my life, but we never chitchatted idly about our personal stories. As a general rule, we're not supposed to get involved with other people in the army. It's too risky and ends badly most of the time. Hopefully because of our rank differences and what we actually do, it won't be risky to start a relationship. I pause in my thoughts and rewind. Relationship? When did that word become part of my vocabulary? I study the woman sitting beside me. I never pictured myself in a relationship and I've always said I wasn't that kind of person. Looking at Stephanie I realize that has all changed. I would do anything to be with her; I would change my views on relationships for her. I don't want to tell her now. I want to wait until I can do it properly, and it won't hurt to have some space to make sure this is really what I want.<p>

"I guess I'll get going now," Steph says, and I realize I'd been lost in my thoughts as the sun went down. I move to stand on my shaky legs. I'm still weak from everything I've been through, but at least I can stand on my own two feet without help. I walk her to the mouth of the cave. I pull her to me despite the pain in my chest. I place a kiss on her head.

"Stay safe," I whisper. She nods, and I kiss her once before she goes. She takes off without another word, and I'm left alone in the cave. I pace for a couple minutes before I physically need to sit down. My head is spinning, I'm slightly out of breath and both of my wounds are throbbing. She changed the bandages this morning. I sit on the blanket we shared together in our time, and my thoughts are consumed with her safety. What if sending her out by herself gets her killed? I would forever feel the burden of her death on my shoulders. I can only hope she finds Bobby or Bobby finds her before someone else does. I continue worrying as I somehow drift off to sleep.

I'm startled awake by noise. I open my eyes hoping to see Stephanie, and I'm disappointed when no one is actually there. I stay awake, still listening but there are no sounds to be heard. I try to keep awake since the morning light is starting to peek in, but my eyes are dry and my head feels heavy. Maybe she'll be here when I wake up.

It's already dusk when I wake up. I'm surprised I slept this long. The panic and worry creep into my chest as I realize she's not back yet. I stand and stretch lightly so I don't pull my stitches. I go to the opening of the cave and strain to hear even the faintest of sounds. I'm only graced with the movement of the animals in the underbrush. I groan in frustration even though I'd much rather hit something. I walk a little clumsily to a tree and relieve myself. I circle a little area around the cave hoping to catch sight of something. Nothing comes. I hate waiting. I hate the uncertainty of it all. A day has already passed. How long am I supposed to wait before I follow her? I know I'm not up to my previous physical standards, but I can't wait in this cave forever. I head back to the security of the cave. I can't help but pace as I wonder about Stephanie's fate. When I tire myself out I sit down and take sips of water. The canteen Stephanie filled days ago is nearing its end. I also find myself something to eat. She doesn't have much food left either. I guess it was necessary that she go.

Stephanie doesn't return in the next day, and I decide to give her two more. I don't want to give up hope that she made it because that would mean… I can't think about it. Since she hasn't returned, I'm venturing out to look for a stream for water. The area has been clear, and I'm not worried about getting spotted. If someone from ISIS finds me, I'll make up a lie. I walk slowly across the unknown terrain. I can't really afford to trip and fall. My nurse isn't here to patch me up right now. I walk some yards before I see even a hint of water. It's a rather large puddle that may have used to connect to a stream. It's not too cloudy so I'll chance it. I'll just have to boil it longer than I would with running water. I sit down awkwardly as I make a small fire from some sticks I gathered on the way. I enjoy the nature around me as I try and clear my mind. Once I have the fire going I put the water on. Eventually worry about Stephanie invades my mind. I wonder if Bobby is with her and keeping her safe. I wonder if she doesn't remember how to get back to the cave we found. Maybe they're looking and just lost. Noticing the water, I realize it's been boiling for about twenty minutes so it's definitely done. I let it cool for a while before pouring it into the pouch of the canteen. I'm distracted by a noise in the distance. I hear rushing feet, and I move slowly. I keep my face towards the noise as I back away. I pull my gun out and get ready for the worst. I'm hoping for Stephanie, but I can't be too cautious. I realize I'm right to be wary as two Islamic soldiers clear the area. I know in my weakened state I won't be able to kill them both by surprise.

"Soldiers," I shout, "don't shoot! It is I, Fahad Imani." They keep their guns raised as they head over in my direction.

"Boss," the one in black says. "We thought you were dead." I raise an eyebrow.

"I was wounded in the attack, but I captured one of their medics. She helped me before I…disposed of her," I reply. "Give me a report on what's been going on." The men look uneasy.

"Well…" the one dressed in brown hedges, "it seems that we didn't get as many Americans we thought in our attack. And our headquarters was bombed just this morning. We've been scouting for you since you've been missing." Their headquarters was bombed? I wonder if Lester's okay where ever he is. Maybe this is why Stephanie is delayed in getting back to me, they could be in lockdown.

"Wow," is all I say, "are you two the only ones looking for me?" They nod.

"They didn't even give us a vehicle. We were told to track you down on foot," the one in black replies. I nod. Good, this means I can take them out. I point to the pot on the ground.

"Can one of you pick that up for me? It's difficult to maneuver with my current wounds," I ask politely as I come up with a plan to incapacitate them. Thankfully while the one bends down the one in brown is watching. I move quickly and snap his neck. The one in black turns quickly and gets off a shot at the same time I do. I see him lying dead as my vision goes black.

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><p>AN: I'm sure you all hate me at this point...oh well...as long as ya'll keep reading and reviewing. :) Thanks for the encouraging reviews thus far! Keep it up! Also if you notice any typosany other mistakes feel free to let me know! I do all of my own editing so I don't always catch everything.


	10. Chapter 10

I decided to post this chapter early in hopes of making me write more and because I totally forgot I had written in a cliffy for the last chapter...oops...so I'm making it up to you guys with an early chapter!

_Disclaimer_: Same as usual.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

We near the cave I left Carlos in, and I see the backpack still there. Where is he? My hearts start beating faster as I glance a look at Bobby. He knows it's not a good sign either. We hear gunshots, and I take off before he can say anything. I know Carlos is around where the shots have gone off. I can only pray we came in time. We should have gotten here earlier, but I had to get through paperwork and Bobby. Then our COs didn't want us taking a vehicle because it would be a bigger target, so we came on foot. My mind wanders back to when I first saw Bobby after the incident.

_ "Private Plum!" Sergeant Major Brown shouts looking angry but relieved. "What in the hell is your problem?! I gave you direct orders. Were they not clear?" I blush and feel guilty about disobeying his commanding orders of only going after who he told us to. I know he must have been extremely worried. _

_ "Sorry sir, but I ended up saving someone important," I reply, hands clasped behind my back with my body straight. He quirks a brow._

_ "And who would that be, Private?" he questions, still not happy about my actions._

_ "Captain Carlos Manoso," I answer, hoping Carlos is okay and that no one has come upon him. Bobby takes a startled breath._

_ "You found Ranger?" he asks looking extremely relieved before pulling me in for a hug. I put my arms around him._

_ "Thank you," he whispers before pulling back._

My breath comes in short pants from my sprinting. I see three bodies. Oh god. Oh god. They all look dead. I come to a halt in front of them. One is Carlos. My heart leaps in my chest. I scan the area before dropping down. I check his pulse first. While weak, it's there. I allow myself a little relief before trying to figure out where he got hit. It also can't be good for him to keep getting hit and going down. I barely register Bobby kneeling beside me to assess his wounds. How many times will this man get shot? I don't know how many more times he can take it or how many more times _I_ can take it. Bobby lets out a whistle.

"Looks like a clean shoulder shot," he says, as I feel behind Carlos. Indeed, the bullet has gone straight through.

"Thank god that guy didn't have as good of aim as Carlos," I reply grabbing gauze out of my new backpack.

"We should get him back to that cave," Bobby suggests, "at least until he wakes up." I nod. I would carry him, but I know Bobby won't let me. We walk back to the cave and Bobby cleans up Carlos' wounds. I watch closely and see him stir. Carlos' eyes open.

"Damn, you look different than I remember," he jokes, "what happened to my good looking nurse?" Bobby laughs and glances at me. Carlos and I lock eyes and I think we both feel at peace.

"Glad to see you, man," Bobby replies, "I know Bombshell over there is eager to see you." I head over to the man I saved and can't help but think that is was fate. He grabs my hand.

"Proud of you, Babe," he tells me with a smile. "Now let's get the hell out of here." I nod and squeeze his hand. He sits up with a grimace and Bobby moves to help him. We then start the long journey to safety. I'm relieved we found him for sure, but I can't help worrying about the trek we're about to make. It took me longer than expected on the way there so I could make sure I wasn't in danger. The fifteen miles was hard when I hadn't had much food or water in the past couple of days. Hopefully with Bobby's help and my replenished state, we could get back rather quickly.

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><p>I woke up to Bobby patching me up, and my heart sank at first before I caught sight up of my Babe. I was a little jealous to hear he gave her a nickname. Bombshell? Yes, she is quite the beautiful bombshell, but why would Bobby be calling her that? I decide to think about it later and try to get to safety as soon as possible. The walk is more difficult than I expected. I'm a fucking army Ranger, and I can endure pain; but, my body was throbbing in three different fucking places. Walking seemed to send jolts to all of my aching wounds. I ignore it the best I can, but every jolt reminds me of the seemingly endless walk. Thirty minutes in and a sheen of sweat covers my body, and my breathing is coming in short pants. I see Bobby and Steph exchange looks.<p>

"Carlos I think we should stop for a while," Stephanie offers with a smile. "You're in no real condition to be walking like this." My body screams 'yes!' But my pride screams 'no!' A part of me feels like I should keep going to prove that I am a real army Ranger, but the rational part knows that even the best need rest after all the shit I've taken. I don't say anything but simply nod. We seem to have passed all the suitable places for sitting so they prop me up against a tree. My body quakes in relief and from the stress I've put on my body. Damn, I hate looking weak. I see that Steph is worried so I grab her hand as she bites her lip. The action causes her to look over and give me a smile. I see Bobby looking in the other direction to pretend to give us privacy. I lean my head up against the tree and nod off.

It takes us two days to get to the hospital which became their makeshift headquarters. They finished patching me up and put me on bed rest. The only problem is I hate bed rest. And, I hate that Stephanie is tending to other wounded men. I know she isn't looking at them the same as she looks at me, but I still don't like it.

After three days, I've grown especially restless. All my fluids and food intake are good, even my wounds have stopped throbbing. They tell me everything seems to be good. I'm able to get a sat phone, and I go about half a mile away. I make a call to General Adams. It seems like why I was recovering so much was happening.

"Captain Manoso," General Adams starts, "a lot of things have happened while you've been out of touch." Not good.

"ISIS has taken complete control of Baghdad," he states, "and some of their men have made advances in Jordan." This definitely is not good and I wonder what it means for me.

"What is the plan, sir?" I question, ready to get back out there. He doesn't speak for a moment.

"We need you to get back in there as Fahad. First Lieutenant Santos is doing a great job, but we need you to be in there as backup," he says, "just say you were recovering from injuries in the woods. It's not far from the truth. You can say something about capturing an enemy medic to help you before you disposed of him." The General's backstory was basically the truth so I'd be able to pull it off pretty well. I just don't know how long I can be immersed in the twisted, hateful culture. I only hope this war doesn't last long. My contract is up in a year and a half. I had been planning to resign for good, but with this war, it's hard to tell what I will end up doing.

"I can do that, sir," I accept, "I should probably wait a little longer so I'm healed better."

"Works for me. I know we don't want this war going on long and the higher ups are whispering about using our nukes," he informs me. "I can only hope you can get the job done first." Jesus, we haven't had a need for our nuclear weapons since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I'm sure history textbooks will definitely consider this world war three if that happens. It's chilling to think it could come to that. After ending the call with the General, I sit in the woods for a while to think about what will happen next. Would I ever see Stephanie again once I go to finish the mission? Would I ever finish this mission? Hearing footsteps draws me out of my thoughts. I look back to see Stephanie walking towards me. She has a soft smile on her face although I see her eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Enjoying the peace and quiet?" she asks quietly, taking a seat beside me.

"Yes, I have a lot to think about," I reply, looking into the woods. I feel her looking me over.

"How long are you going to stay here?" she questions, her voice even quieter. I can tell she's nervous and worried; it's clear in her voice. I grab her hand for reassurance. I bring it to my lips and kiss it.

"I'll be leaving once it's a lot less painful to walk," I reply before looking her in the eyes, "you should know that I'll be returning." Her eyes search mine.

"Returning for what?" I had a feeling she would ask even though I'm sure it's written clearly on my face.

"For you." With those words I pull her in for a kiss. I had never felt my mortality and my impending death more than in that moment. Knowing I have a beautiful woman to come back to makes it that much harder to complete my mission. Our kiss starts out soft before I deepen it and pull her closer. Without breaking the kiss, she straddles my legs. My hand moves to her hair, and I remove her hairband before running my hands through her silky hair. I didn't want this moment to be goodbye, but we could both feel it. She reluctantly breaks the kiss.

"You better," she says a little breathless with fresh color in her cheeks. "So stop getting shot!" She shoots me a smile, but I know she's dead serious.

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><p>AN: A little bit of sweet before he's sent back out there. Please let me know of any mistakes because I do my own editing! Thanks. :)<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews. I'm enjoying them all even though I haven't responded.

On another note, if you haven't seen American Sniper yet, you definitely should. It pulls at the heartstrings. I can't thank our service men and women enough for sacrificing their lives for our safety.

_Disclaimer_: I don't own the ones you know.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

"If I was able to hold you like I want to," Carlos tells me as he looks into my eyes, "you wouldn't ever go away." My eyes soften, and I smile. I know he has to leave, and realistically I know he might not come back. It hurts to think about so I don't. I never imagined falling in love in the middle of war. A part of me thinks it's wrong, but the bigger part of me knows it's right. At least something good came from this madness.

After staying for a couple more days, Carlos took off. He couldn't tell anyone about it and so I didn't ask. It scares me more than I'd care to admit to think of him not coming back. I wasn't able to dwell on it too long because our medical unit had new orders. We had to move to another location. A small city had just been bombed by one of ours and apparently a lot of civilians had been injured. In order to try and spread peace our group was sent to patch them up. We were to take out any hostiles, but otherwise we needed to help the women and children. This gruesome part of war is the worst. It's like the people in power don't take into account all the innocent lives put in danger. I wonder if the leaders of ISIS and al Qaeda even care.

"You kissed Captain Manoso?" Mercedes questions on our helicopter flight to the small town. I blush before nodding. We're whispering so the rest of the guys can't hear. They're resting anyways.

"Yes, and the craziest part is I think I've fallen in love with him," I reply, in shock with myself. She gives me a knowing smile.

"I was wondering if you'd figure it out. You've been love struck since coming back," she informs me with a smirk. "It's obvious to my keen eye." She taps her skull. I giggle. It's so strange being filled with hope in such a dark time.

"We might not ever see each other again," I state to try and ready myself for the inevitable blow. While his promise was nice, I can't rely on it. We're in war. Nothing is guaranteed. One thing I have noticed is that Bobby and Mercedes were getting awfully close and sharing looks. I know she doesn't know it yet, but they're falling in love. It's dangerous since we're in the same squad, but it makes me excited for when this war and our tour of duty is over. Mercedes grabs my hand.

"Have faith, girl. Everything happens for a reason." I smile, and our thoughts drift. I wonder where Carlos is now. It seems like we met a lifetime ago. I hope he's okay, and his mission goes well even if I never see him again.

We get to the small town and my heart aches at the sight. The small houses are halfway destroyed with black ash everywhere. The cries of people can be heard at all times in various places. Some tents are already set up, but our squad has two more. It seems like the only people in this town were women and children. Most seem a little hateful, but they accept our help. Only one old woman straight out refused. She starts screaming when I touch her. Then she starts beating her hands at me. Once I back away, she stops. She looks me straight in the eye and points a finger, much like Joe's Grandma Bella. I'm frightened to my core. Hopefully, it's nothing, but I feel like she just cursed me. We seem to grow on the women we help, and some speak broken English. I speak English to one woman who tells me her name is Evona. I teach her simple words, and we become friends. She has a cute little boy with bright green eyes. She tells me about her husband fighting in the war and how she doesn't support it. She just wants a good life for her son. It's sad when we leave. Her son Mohammad gives me a hug, and Evona gives me a smile. We lift off to another bomb site.

Our government seems to have no qualms about bombing these people, and they expect them to like us. We help people for five months. It's liberating and feels good, but sometimes it's tiring. Looking at all this death and destruction just puts a damper on my heart and spirit. How can people be a part of war for years and go back to regular life? The only silver lining is knowing I'm helping people and not hurting them. And, occasionally, my thoughts turn to Carlos. We don't watch much media coverage so I don't know anything. I don't know if he's alive or dead although I figure Bobby would know. He would definitely tell me. We spend our days working on hurt and bloody people and at night we entertain ourselves of stories from home.

We've finally started getting our mail. I have ten letters waiting for me. One from Joe, three from my father, two from my mom, two from Grandma Mazur, and two from Mary Lou. The ones from my father detail his life when he was in the army. I never knew he was an army Ranger. He'd never discussed that part of his life with me before. I have never been more proud to call him my father. He never ceases to amaze me. My mother's letters couldn't mask her worry for my well-being. She mostly rambled about life in the Burg and everyone else's business. It was surprisingly nice to hear about the mundane things in life. Grandma Mazur's letters were spunky—just like her. She talked about her escapades at the funeral home, and her 'hot' dates. I even got a good laugh at picturing her in a hot pink sweat suit on her date. She also told me of a fiasco at a closed casket viewing. I couldn't help but bust out at that. I knew my mom would be ironing for two weeks for that incident. It seems that Grandma tried to pry open the casket of Henry Decker, and in the process her hot pink wig flew off and into the lap of the widow. Mary Lou's letter talked about how much she missed me, and how her kids were. She also worried about me. I saved Joe's letter for last. I knew I loved him, but I was no longer in love with him. I had no romantic feelings for him anymore. I don't think he'd understand me now anyways.

_Cupcake,_

_The news is bleak these days and has me really worrying about you. I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if something happened to you. You brighten up this world. I know you told me not to wait, but a part of me wants to. What kind of man would I be if I didn't? People in the Burg are already giving me dirty looks and whispering about how I broke up with you because of your decision. I know I wasn't happy with it, but that was just me worrying about you. I have a right to be. This war is escalating quickly. ISIS and al Qaeda hate us Americans and you're in their territory. We get news of the bombings daily. It's also not good that they've been gaining more territory. Stay safe and come home. I hope you'll be able to forgive me when you get back. You can finally settle down with me for good. _

_ Love,_

_ Joe_

While Joe's sentiment was ultimately sweet, I couldn't help but be annoyed by his last line. Finally settle down? Maybe I would, but not with him. We just don't share the same ideals. We haven't ever, but I thought it could work. How naïve I was. He had always been trying to change me. I was a woman born to fly and all he wanted was my feet barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. I close his letter and put it in my backpack. Even if I did return to Trenton, my heart would never belong to Joe again. My heart would be with my brown eyed Captain, wherever he may be. I hope he'll return to me.

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><p>AN: I don't know much about being in actual war zones, but hopefully I'm doing it justice. Any mistakes are mine and I'd love to know so I can fix them. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for all the reviews! They keep my muse going. :)

_Disclaimer_: Per usual I don't own any of JE's characters.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

A year has passed since I've seen my Babe. I was lucky enough to contact Tank and have him acquire a picture of her. I was able to keep it on my person. Knowing I had a piece of her with me kept me grounded during this horrible mission. I had returned to help Lester. I was questioned heavily, but they believed me. We've finally made some progress by taking out the second in command. Lester now holds this position—thank God. The General has been saying the war could be over soon. I could only hope. Being a terrorist every day wears the mind and soul down. We've been able to stop most of the violence by getting the lower ranks to follow our command. Abu Bakr seems to have no idea we're slowly turning his followers. It's been a difficult journey, and it's a miracle we're still alive. I wonder if Stephanie is. I wonder how she is. I know her tour will be over in six months. I wonder if she'll sign on again. I clear my head as I grab the sat phone to make a call.

"General Adams, can you hear me?" I ask into the phone as I hear the ringing stop.

"Captain Manoso," he says, "we need to act swiftly. You need to take out Abu Bakr tonight and get out of there. We're preparing the bombing for tomorrow." I was shocked to hear this. I knew the end might be coming soon, but I always imagined the higher ups would want to drag this thing out.

"How's it going down?" I question wondering how Americans won't be targeted for such an attack.

"We're working together with the other countries. It turns out those WMDs Bush said they had are actually there. So, we're going in and going to make it look like an accidental explosion. Downfall is that a lot of innocent people will get hurt, but it seems to be our best plan. You and Lester did report their plans to move the supplies." I had to say, this plan seemed like the best one the general has come up with so far. It would be sad to see civilians hurt, but it's the best way to divert attention from Americans while ending the war. They will be too busy rebuilding to worry about attacking plus with the subtle suggestions from Les and I, they may become more peaceful. France has been putting their forces in Jordan to push out ISIS, and other countries are also helping get them under control. This plan has a solid chance of working.

"That's a good plan General," I reply, "we'll get ready, get the job done, and get out." I end the call. I stash the sat phone and go to find Lester. He'll probably be in a better position to take out Bakr. Once I find him, I fill him in on everything. He's down with the plan. Hopefully if anyone finds out, they will be killed in the bomb blast. We work the details out and go to set our plans in motion. I cover for Les as he goes in and kill Bakr along with the rest of the terrorists in the room. Even though they're terrorists, it still takes a toll to take so many lives. We've both been through hell, and it's never easy. After clearing the room we make a call to the General who assures us he'll have an extraction team ready to get us out of there before the 'accident' happens.

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><p>"We need to get out NOW!" Bobby shouts at us as we look up from the patients we've been working on. His order is startling. My mind goes back to everyone I've helped thus far. With an order like this, something bad must be coming.<p>

"We need to get in our choppers and clear out. Now, now, NOW!" Bobby is organized but seemingly frantic.

"Forget the tools except for your backpacks!" He's shoving us and some of the wounded American soldiers in the tent we're currently in. One of the bombings had hit a group of our soldiers working in one of the remote towns. From the panic in Bobby's voice, we must not have much time. I see everyone has basically cleared out. I see Seth still stitching one of the locals. I grab his arm and look him in the eyes.

"C'mon, we have to go," I say. He shakes his head. "I have to save her."

"Stephanie! Seth! Now!" Bobby commands from the helicopter. Seth is shaking his head. I give the woman an apologetic look and an 'I'm sorry,' before dragging Seth to the helicopter. We've just made it on when it takes off as fast it can. Seth is still looking back when his foot slips off the edge. My eyes widen, and I lunge to grab him. Thankfully, I grab his hand and feel arms on my torso to keep me from falling. Suddenly, everyone is hands on deck to haul Seth in. That's one of the best perks of being part of a team—we always work together and take care of our own. Mercedes hugs Seth and so does Paul. We almost lost him. We're five minutes away and as high as the helicopter can go when an explosion rocks the air. It's a huge mushroom cloud starting from a city in the distance, and yet it seems to be spreading. My heart leaps in my throat, and Carlos flashes in my mind. Did he get out in time? Was he wherever this explosion happened? I squeeze my eyes shut and try to stop myself from thinking about it. I wonder where we're going now and why we got the warning so late. We were almost goners.

"Sergeant Major Brown, where are we headed?" I ask, curious to if there's a plan now that it's not safe to be on the ground.

"We're heading to a remote airstrip where a plane will be waiting to take us to a base in Germany, one of our closest allies. I'm not sure of our orders once we get there," he replies, rubbing his face with his hands. I can tell how much this close call worried him. I nod and I see everyone else seems okay with the plan too.

It takes an hour to get to the airstrip and the building at the edge has a small American flag. The plane is ready for us. We board and then I proceed to fall asleep since the adrenaline has worn off.

"Steph, time to go," Mercedes says, shaking me awake. I nod and snap into being alert. I long ago got used to waking up quickly and being immediately alert. We step out of the plane, and the air is chilly compared to where we'd been for the past year. We're ushered into cars and transported to a building. We're each given rooms and changes of uniform. This will be the first real shower I've had since going on tour. Our makeshift medical tents don't exactly come with showers. We've been bathing with the locals and it hasn't been the most cleanly.

I groan as the hot water cascades down my shoulders, and I happily scrub my body with the standard soap. I never want to get out of the shower again. I keep Carlos out of my mind, and I go into the land of denial. I change into a clean army t-shirt and sweatpants. It's so nice to have clean clothes against my body for once. My uniform is being washed for like the fifth time since being deployed. I find Mercedes and I sit on her bed. She's brushing her hair.

"Hallelujah girl! Hot showers," she says with a smile although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. I think after all we've seen, it will be a little while before our smiles can reach our eyes.

"It's heaven, I swear! I will never take things for granted again," I reply with a smile of my own, "I never imagined it would be like this." She nods.

"I knew war was brutal, but I _didn't_ know," she states, "all those innocent people." I nod and grab her free hand.

"It's not right or fair, but it's not our fault. ISIS should have had more care for their people before they got into a war," I say sadly, "and we can't change the fact that we were dragged into a war." She sighs.

"I know, I know. It's just sad and wrong," she reiterates. We sit in silence, mourning all the innocent lives being hurt and lost because of this war. I stand and we hug before I head to my room to get a good night of sleep. It's nice to be in a bed again. It's a welcome change. I'm about to drift off when a knock comes to my door. I go and open it to find a somber Bobby.

"Bobby, what is it?" I ask, wondering what could bring him to my door at nine thirty after the long day we've had.

"I got news on Ranger…" he says, "as far as the government knows he didn't make it out before the nuclear explosion." My eyes widen in disbelief. No. No. No. Tears fill my eyes and my chest restricts. I can barely breathe and my heart is beating wildly.

"This…a joke…" I choke out as a sob escapes my mouth. "No, no." I shake my head as tears stream down my face. It feels like a hole has been ripped in my chest. I feel air rushing in and out but it's a blur. It's a painful blur. I feel my legs give out and warm arms wrap around me. I feel Bobby bring me to the bed, and he strokes my hair. I cry loudly. How could this happen? He was supposed to come back for me. The thought makes me sob harder. I wanted to give it a try with him. I wanted everything and anything he would give. How could he be dead?

"Shh…Steph, it will be okay," Bobby says as I feel one of his tears fall into my hair. He just lost a good friend.

"Oh Bobby," I whisper, "I'm so sorry you lost such a good friend." He wraps his arms tighter around me and places his chin on the top of my head. I squeeze his waist. My tears are still flowing steadily, but I've become silent. I move and place a kiss on Bobby's cheek.

"You should go be with Mercedes," I say even though it's technically against the rules. He nods. Everything will change when we get our orders tomorrow anyways. He needs the woman he loves right now. I walk him to the door and then crawl back into bed. I grab the extra pillow and hug it to my chest as I weep silently for the man I will never get to fully know. Oh Carlos, why did you leave? I drift into a dreamless sleep with tears leaking silently down my cheeks.

I wake up abruptly, and the night before comes back all too suddenly. Carlos is gone. Fresh tears follow the tracks of the ones from that night. I can tell that my eyelids have swollen and my face is probably red and blotchy. I get up and see that it's nine a.m. It's the latest I've slept since I've left Trenton. I stretch and make my way to the bathroom. A hot shower makes me feel slightly better but the dull ache in my chest never lessens or leaves. I find a note on my door about our new orders being given at ten thirty in conference room A. I head straight there and see I'm not the first one. Bobby is standing in front of a long table. We wait in silence for the rest to come. Paul, Seth, and Mercedes come in one by one, and we all wait to hear what happens to us next.

"Uncle Sam sends his gratitude," Bobby starts, "he thanks us for our admirable service. Apparently the bloody part of the war is mostly over so our squad isn't needed for the time being. Along with the nuclear radiation, the government doesn't want us in the area. This year and a half is almost your full service so you can be discharged." I'm shocked to hear the news. We exchange looks between ourselves. I think we all might decide to be discharged. I know I wouldn't really want to work with another squad and we've basically done all we can for this war.

"If there is a need for our services in the future, we can be called back to finish out the last half of the time owed," Bobby continues. "I know it's a difficult decision to make, but I figured we could make it as a squad." We all nod in agreement. We've become family during our time in the war zone. We discuss it together quietly. It seems like we're all in agreement. We'll get out together and if need be, we'll go back in together.


	13. Chapter 13

I tried making this chapter feel just right before posting it, but it's ehh. I'm trying to keep the muse going, but she doesn't seem to like me...

_Disclaimer_: I don't own or make any money off of JE's characters. This is all for fun.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

I can't see. Black ash and smoke fill my eyes and lungs. I can't move. I can barely breathe. I shut my eyes and pray death takes me. Every fiber of my being hurts. Bright blue eyes call to me, and I see Stephanie in a vision. She's beautiful in a pale white dress with her hair hanging in brunette curls. Her eyes suck me in and a flash of white light blinds me. I hear crashing and crumbling as the earth shakes beneath me, but I stay locked on my blue eyed bombshell.

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><p>Three months later we're being debriefed in Washington, and we're free to go live our lives. I'm going back to Trenton and got a job as a nurse at the Hamilton Based Community Outpatient Clinic which deals with a lot of veterans. Mercedes is going back to New York to spend time with her family, but I won't be surprised if she shows up to Trenton one day because of Bobby. Seth and Paul are both going back to their homes in Texas. We all promise to stay in touch. It will definitely be weird to not be with the squad twenty-four seven like we have been. Bobby and I ride back together since we're in the same area.<p>

Our car ride is mainly silent with nothing but the radio. We're both still upset about the news on Carlos. The dull ache in my chest is a constant reminder. I can't even imagine what his family is thinking right now. I try and stay away from thoughts of Carlos so I can keep the tears from coming. We arrive in Trenton and Bobby drops me off at my parent's house. I decided to drop the lease on my apartment since I wasn't exactly sure how long I'd be gone, and I put my stuff in storage with some stuff left at my parent's house. I hug Bobby goodbye and when I turn I can see Grandma Mazur and my mom waiting for me on the porch. I watch Bobby drive away before walking up to them. I am immediately engulfed in hugs. We're not the most emotional or touchy-feely family, but I can tell they are extremely happy and relieved to have me home.

"I made pineapple upside down cake," is the first thing out of my mother's mouth. I smile. She shows her love through food. We walk inside, and I see my dad standing beside his usual seat in the recliner. He opens his arms for me, and I go give him a hug. He presses a kiss to my hair.

"Proud of you pumpkin," he utters as I pull away. I smile at him. My mother claps once.

"Dinner's ready." We head to the dining room and all sit down. Grandma looks pretty good with her hair dyed pink and tight black yoga pants with PINK printed on her butt. I can tell she's stopping herself from questioning me. Once we've all helped ourselves, Grandma starts.

"So meet any hotties?" she asks looking excited. "Anyone who'd go out with me?" She gives me a wink, and I chuckle.

"I met a nice man named Wilbur, but he's a little old and doesn't get it up too well if ya know what I mean," she says before I can respond to her previous questions. She moves her dentures around in her mouth before taking another bite of food. Mom looks horrified that Grandma would speak about this sort of thing at dinner even if it is just the four of us.

"Well Grandma, I have to say I didn't meet many suitable guys," I reply, pushing my food around my plate as Carlos comes to my mind. He was definitely not suitable for Grandma, but he could have been suitable for me. I clear those thoughts.

"So Stephanie, how long are you home?" Mom asks to avoid any more embarrassing questions from Grandma.

"For good, as far as I know. They're planning to end the war soon so they said our squad wouldn't be needed," I reply, "so they say hopefully for good. I did agree to do select missions if they ask." She seems pleased with my answer until my last sentence. I love my country, and I like serving it even though it is scary and dangerous; I feel like I'm doing something that matters.

"Do you have something lined up now that you're home?" she inquires, pushing food around on her plate. "I saw the tampon factory was hiring as well as some other places." I nod even though a job at the tampon factory horrifies me. Thankfully, I have plans.

"I am going to be working in Hamilton at the community outpatient clinic which deals mainly with veterans," I inform the table, pretty happy with my decision. I will continue giving back to my country.

"Baby Granddaughter, you sure are something," Grandma Mazur says smiling happily in my direction. I smile back, glad to see they're proud of me. I help Mom clear the dishes and she gets the pineapple upside down cake. I get the vanilla ice cream when the doorbell rings. I look at my mom but she just shrugs so I set the ice cream down to go get it. I open the door to my crying sister with her two daughters at her legs. I'm shocked to see my perfect sister standing here when she should be in California with her husband. I usher them in.

"Steve left me for the babysitter," she says before a fresh round of tears surfaces. The girls look upset and worried. I give my sister a hug before turning to Angie and Mary Alice.

"Have you two eaten?" I ask, and they shake their heads. "Find Grandma and she'll feed you while I get your mom settled." They nod and go to the kitchen while I take Valerie upstairs. I was planning to stay here, but I guess I'll bump up my search for a place to live. She sets her bags down.

"He took everything. The only things I have are what is in these bags," she says, looking so broken. "He cleared out the bank accounts."

"That bastard!" I exclaim worried not only for my sister but for her two innocent kids.

"I'm sure mom and dad will let you stay here for as long as you need," I say as I rub her back, "and you can sue the pants off Steve!" She nods but doesn't seem comforted by my words. She cleans herself up and we head downstairs to a very curious family. Angie and Mary Alice are eating happily and mom has already cut my piece of cake and scooped some ice cream for me. I smile and dig in. Valerie gets a plate of food and joins the table.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming, honey?" Mom asks Valerie who hangs her head.

"It was a spur of the moment decision," she replies, "Steve left unexpectedly." My mother nods but doesn't seem to believe it. I see the girls yawn.

"I'll tuck these two in bed, and you all can talk," I say, offering my hands to each of the girls. They protest with 'I'm not tired' but their drooping eyes and yawns don't convince me. I have them change into their jammies and then tuck them in my old bed. I head back downstairs to see my sister sobbing and mom rubbing her back. I guess we'll all figure this out together. I have a week to look for a place before I begin work. I grab my laptop and sit on the couch as I look for places to live. I figure I should grow up a little and get a townhouse instead of just an apartment. I could then get a garage and actually make a home. I guess after going overseas I have the urge to make a home. After browsing for about ten minutes, I see some nice new town-homes in an area called Hamilton Courts. It's a little ways from my parent's house, but it's also a little ways from the outpatient center. It has three bedrooms and two baths with an attached garage. At $969 a month that isn't too bad at all. Maybe I'll even get a pet.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! They make me happy. :) I decided to post this chapter earlier since I posted a day late last week and they closed the university early for snow! If you're on the East Coast and are getting the snow-be safe!

_Disclaimer_: I don't own the characters.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

"This place ain't too shabby baby granddaughter," Grandma says as she carries one of my light boxes into the new townhouse I signed the lease on yesterday. Thankfully, it was move in ready with furniture included. I could not have gotten luckier with this place.

"Yeah Bombshell, this place is nice," Bobby comments as he brings in the box of the new TV he helped me pick out this morning. I smile and set down my very small box of kitchen supplies. Bobby insisted in helping when I told him I was moving in to a new place. He said he had enough of his family since they kept bombarding him with questions he wouldn't as well as couldn't answer. I had asked why he hadn't gone back to work, but he said they issued him two weeks off. He told me I should meet the guys some time. He thinks I'd be an asset to the company, but I'm not really sure what I could offer since he's already the medic for the building. It's a security firm with three branches, providing services like skip tracing, body guarding, business and house security. Apparently, they are morally right, legally grey. I'm okay with that considering the law doesn't always work the way it should. He told me about Carlos and how he started the company. I think it makes him happy to remember the good times about him, and I like hearing the stories. He also told me stories about BLT or Bobby, Lester, Tank; his really close friends and business partners.

After unpacking everything I wanted to for the day, I settle into the dark blue suede L shaped couch. My chest still hurts, but moving has kept me busy. I honestly don't have much stuff. I had some stuff in storage that I got out along with my bags at my parent's house, but otherwise I need to go shopping. My mind his whirring with flashes of the faces I've seen and places I had been. All our work wasted with some nuclear explosions. All those people. I sink to one side as tears fall. I fall asleep in that position.

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><p>"I know this war has been trying and difficult, but we need to look at the facts. We are losing more rapidly since the accidental explosions of our nukes. I was unfortunate enough and lucky enough to have been away on business when the explosions happened, so I am now the only remaining leader. We should take these explosions as signs from Allah that we need to rebuild and stop this war," Ajaml Imani says to his followers. They've all been hurt in this war, and they are all losing faith in their destructive ways. The mindset is changing. Maybe violence will be a whim of the past…<p>

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><p>After settling in to my new place and my new job, I feel mostly normal. I barely have any flashbacks unless I have a stressful day. I see Bobby once a week. He encourages me to go back to school which I think about. Working at the outpatient center makes me want to be a physical therapist, but after hearing Bobby talk about RangeMan with such a passion, I almost feel like doing something in business. He encourages me to do both. It's kind of strange having someone to encourage me to do what I want instead of what he wants or thinks is best for me. I'm surprised Joe hasn't stopped in for a visit yet, but I'm sure it will happen sometime or another. Sighing, I get out of bed to get ready for the day. I think I would definitely enjoy doing more than making rounds and administering meds. I enjoy the people I work with and who I help, but it's also very difficult, and I wonder if I could have done anything to save them when I was out in the field. It's a ridiculous thought, but sometimes I wonder.<p>

I get to the center and head inside. After clocking in, I grab my charts for the day before stopping in to see the first person on my hall. His name is Jonathan White, and his right leg was blown off because of an IED blast. If I was a physical therapist I could help him learn to walk again. I push the thought out of my mind as I smile brightly at him.

"How are you feeling today?" I ask, as I check his vitals. He shrugs. He had some shrapnel to deal with but the surgeons managed to get all of it out so the only real problem is his leg.

"Better than yesterday, but my leg just aches even though it's not there," he informs me as he reaches to touch where his limb would be.

"Phantom limb," I reply, "you start physical therapy tomorrow and maybe that will help." He shrugs not looking excited.

"Does it ever go away?" I look at him and decide how best to answer. I've read different things about it.

"They say it all depends on the person. Sometimes the feeling fades, but others say they always feel like their limb is there. I wish we could be of more help," I say as I give him a pain pill.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur, and I'm glad I have tomorrow off. I sleep in until the barking of Rex, my new German Shepard puppy, wakes me. I stretch and sigh. I get up and walk downstairs to feed and take him out. He's not fully potty trained yet, but he's having less and less accidents. He's full of energy after coming back inside. I change into running clothes before clipping him up to the leash. We head out for a jog. Luckily, he's not big enough to pull me a lot as we run. We're both breathing hard as we get back to the townhouse. My phone rings as soon as I've un-clipped Rex. He goes over to the water bowl as I flip my phone open without checking caller ID.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Uh…Stephanie Plum?" a woman questions. She sounds familiar but I can't place the voice.

"Yes. Who's calling?" I don't give my cell number out to just anyone so I wonder who this could be.

"Hi, this is Connie Rosolli and I work for you cousin Vinnie," she states. Why in the world would this woman be calling me? I barely ever talk to my sleazy cousin Vinnie considering he's said to have had sexual relations with a duck.

"Is there something I can do for you Connie?" I ask, not really sure what else to say. She doesn't answer immediately which has my spidey-sense tingling. She must think I won't like whatever it is she has to say.

"Well Vinnie suggested I call you since you were in the Army and everything. See we're bail bonds and our low bond skip tracer just went to the hospital and will be out for a while. We were wondering if you might fill in for a while…" Connie says nervously. Well, I'll be damned. I never in a million years expected a call like this. What the hell does a skip tracer do anyways? And why would being in the Army make a difference? I decide to voice my opinions and questions aloud.

"Uh..Connie what does a skip tracer do? Why would I be good at this job? And what do my army skills have to do with it?" She chuckles.

"Skip tracer is basically a fancy name for a bounty hunter. Your army time would make you fit, and skilled with take downs and guns. We just need a short fill in. You schedule your own hours and will receive ten percent of the bond once the skip is caught," she explains. I imagine she's examining her nails. I went to school with her little sister Tina. We were pretty close but haven't chatted in a while. I have to say the job sounds like fun. I don't really get "field work" anymore, but I do enjoy a good spar. I'm quiet for a while so Connie speaks again.

"I can tell you're considering it. We could really use you, so stop by sometime soon and check it out for yourself," Connie suggests kindly. Hmm…I might be swamped but this could be a way to work off some steam. I think Bobby said he does stuff like this. I should talk to him about it.

"Thanks for the offer Connie, I'll definitely keep it in mind. I'm just going to think it over and talk about it with a friend. I'll call to let you know when I want to stop by," I reply, getting excited about being able to take down some criminals. At least I won't be dealing with horribly destroyed bodies and gruesome deaths of women and children. Bounty hunting should be cake...hell some dude called Dog can do it—why can't I?

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><p>AN: Any errors? Let me know. Did you like it or hate it? Let me know! Reviews are appreciated. Happy Monday!<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

This chapter is for all my patient, faithful reviewers! Thanks for sticking with me and encouraging me to post. :)

_Disclaimer_: I don't own JE's characters.

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 15<p>

After hanging up with Connie, I immediately dial Bobby.

"Yo," is the first thing out of his mouth. Where are his phone manners?

"Bobby, it's Steph," I say with a smile, he's become one of my closest friends.

"Steph, are you okay?" He's always concerned about me. He's a big brother I never had.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. It's my day off at the center. I just got an interesting call from my cousin Vinnie's secretary Connie…they want me to consider bounty hunting. I know you dabble in the field. What are your thoughts on this?" I hear silence. I give him another moment.

"Bobby?" He still has yet to reply. I wonder what he's thinking. Silence usually indicates something is wrong.

"I'm surprised. Steph, I think you'd enjoy it and be good at it. You told me about the instincts that led you to save Ranger. I bet you'd excel," he replies and his voice tells me how proud of me he is.

"Good. I thought it sounded fun. You'll give me pointers, of course?" I assure, looking forward to being back in action. What can I say? I'm an adrenaline junkie at heart. I broke my arm jumping off my parent's garage when I was little just so I could fly. I like the rush, the feeling of doing something good yet dangerously exciting. Don't get me wrong—I do not have a death wish, but I enjoy getting the adrenaline rush. I enjoy feeling useful.

"Of course, bomber! You'll definitely have to come to RangeMan, maybe become an employee and get a partner," he says excitedly. I don't know about all that. Seems like a little much. What about my job with the guys at the clinic? I can't just abandon all that.

"Give it some time, Steph." Bobby is a great friend and thinker. It's no wonder how he commands so many people and is part of a successful business. I've been so lucky to meet him and become close to him.

"Thanks Bobby." Click. No phone manners! How does Mercedes deal with that? I call Connie back and let her know I'm going to come check it out. I head to the Bonds office. It's a small building with glass windows and doors. 'Vincent Plum Bail Bonds' is printed in big bold letters above the door. I feel a shiver of disgust as I read his name. I open the door and am surprised at how not disgusting it is. There's a cream suede couch across from a desk which the woman I assume is Connie sits behind. There's a door with Vinnie's name on it and another door beside that marked storage. I see a filing cabinet that is overflowing along with stacks and stacks of manila folders apparently in need of filing. Connie is almost identical to Tina only a little older and bustier. Her hair is teased in classic Jersey style, her v-neck red sweater shows off her busty upper body, and her nails are at least two inches and painted deep red. She smiles at me, obviously recognizing me.

"Stephanie, hi, thanks for coming!" She's enthusiastic and probably in desperate need.

"No problem Connie. How's Tina doing? We haven't talked in a while," I say making conversation as I take a seat on the couch.

"She's good! She's working at a place called E.E. Martin as lingerie buyer and just got engaged actually," Connie says clearly happy for her little sister. I smile.

"That's awesome!" I reply, "so what bonds do you need me to do?" I get down to business now. I see her pick up a stack. Uh-oh.

"Well I have about ten here," she says, "see our low bonds guy is Morty Beyers, but his appendix burst and he's in the hospital outta commission. Vinnie suggested you. RangeMan does all of our high bonds." I nod at the information. If Morty's only out for an appendix, doesn't that mean he'll be back soon?

"The biggest bond we would have for you is named Shane Grady wanted for assault and battery and embezzlement. The bond is at $80,000 so you'd get $8,000 for the capture." I'm sure I'm doing a fish impression right now. $8,000 for just returning a guy to jail? Jesus. No wonder RangeMan is a lucrative business. And these are _just_ the _low_ bonds. I whistle. Connie chuckles.

"I know what you're thinking," she says, "at least give it a try. If that's not good for you, the filing position is always open." She gestures to the pile by the cabinet. I laugh at that. No way in hell would I ever even considering doing that. I pity the person who has to deal with that mess.

"Any pointers?" I ask taking the stack. I can't believe I'm about to go through with this craziness.

"Yep. Get a stun gun and a carry permit if you don't already have one..oh! And handcuffs, get handcuffs. Just figure out where to find the skip and apprehend. Just bring them back to jail and get a receipt," she explains. I nod. Damn, that's a lot to take in. Thankfully, I applied for my carry permit before I deployed so I have that. I even got the conceal carry. I will need to get pepper spray and handcuffs though.

"Thank you Jesus!" I hear Vinnie yell through the door. Vinnie's weasel like head pokes out of his door. "Get on those, now!" I raise an eyebrow as he goes back into his cave. I look at Connie and she just shrugs apologetically. I wave and head out the door. I do a heavy sigh when I see Joe slouching against my car. I wasn't planning to do this today. I walk over and straighten my shoulders.

"Joe," I say with no emotion. I don't really want to get a lecture about the way I live my life. I'm surprised when he wraps me in a hug and puts his face in my hair and breathes deeply.

"Cupcake," he replies, squeezing me tight. I've never liked that nickname. He started it after he took my virginity on the floor of the Tasty Pastry, my job in high school. I clipped him with the Buick two years later after he never called. I'm amazed we even had a relationship after that. I guess coming back from the Navy made him more responsible and boyfriend material.

"I'm glad you're okay." I'm surprised by his first words. The second, not so much. "What are you doing at Vinnie's?" I arch an eyebrow. I fail to see how that's his business. He sighs and wipes a hand over his face.

"Want to grab lunch at Pino's?" he asks and my stomach betrays me with a loud grumble. Dammit. Joe grins at me.

"I'll drive." I nod and stuff the files Connie gave me in my purse. I climb into Joe's Jeep, and he heads to Pino's. Our ride is silent. I don't really have anything to say to him. I hope he doesn't think we have a chance of getting back together. We get to Pino's and slide into a booth after ordering. I get my usual—a meatball sub. Joe gets a pizza. I sip my water and fold my arms on the table.

"Cupcake, the boys have missed you," he starts and I give him a glare. He clears his throat. "…I've missed you. This past year and a half have been hell." I start to feel a little sympathy. The worst part is I never missed him. Not once. How did we ever have a relationship?

"I told you not to wait for me," I reply quietly, searching his eyes to see how serious he is. His eyes are probing for answers. He doesn't seem to like what he finds.

"What happened over there?" He has the nerve to ask. The worst possible question to ask. My eyes well with tears. I refuse to let them fall. So much has happened. I don't have the words to explain it to Joe. He was never a part of it. I don't think he could ever be a part of my life again. The ship has sailed. He wants a housewife and babies. I want neither at the moment unless Ca—no. Don't go there. I take a deep breath.

"War happened, Joe. Nothing is the same as when I left. I'm a different person," I reply, "and I'll never be the woman you want. I don't want the same things as you Joe. I never have." My voice has gotten quieter as I've been talking. I have a lot of history with Joe. My mom always pushed me at him. I guess it was just comfortable. Nothing really feels comfortable now. My world is completely changed. Flipped upside down by a man I'll never see again. By a war that I saw. The women and children I helped all for nothing. They're probably all suffering from radiation now. Nothing. I did nothing. I saved Carlos and he still died. I saved countless others and for NOTHING! Joe will never understand. I failed. I'm a failure. Joe is quiet. He's looking at me. I think he knows. I don't know why he didn't take the hint before I left. I guess he was just hopeful. We finish eating in silence. Joe drops me back off at my car. He wraps me in a hug.

"I love you Stephanie. I hope you figure out everything you're dealing with and feel peace," he says, placing a kiss on the top of my head. "I hope you find someone who lets you fly." I smile and a single rolls down my cheek for Joe. I place a kiss on his cheek.

"Goodbye Joe, I wish you the best," I reply sadly. He nods, and I watch him pull away. I get in my car and head home. I'm beat. Today has been very strange and draining. I need a nap before I do anything else. I get to my place and head straight to my bedroom. I flop down eagle spread—my thinking position. Rex bounds up next to me. The tears flow. I don't stop them. I cry for Carlos. I cry for the innocent victims of the war with ISIS. I cry for all the men and women who won't make it home because of the war. I cry for the wounded and for the veterans I work with. I cry for my squad. I cry about Joe. Sleep claims me after my crying jag.

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><p>AN: Let me know what you think.<p> 


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